Complications III: Tears
by Veronica.BookLover
Summary: After Arty & Wally's sudden breakup, the speedster transfers back to his old school & quits the Team. Three months later, Oli & Dinah's wedding brings them back together. However, every night, Wally is haunted by nightmares. In each dream, she dies in a different way but always say the same last words. He doesn't know what they mean but he doesn't know if he can take the torture.
1. Whipped Tears and New Beginnings

**Okay, so this is a small chapter where nothing really happens but at least I wrote it. There are new people and new couples (that I really love). So, like I said, nothing really happens but I hope you guys appreciate it! PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><strong>Complications III: Tears<strong>

Chapter 1: Whipped Tears and New Beginnings

Wally arrived in front of his old school, waiting for Vanessa to arrive. He didn't tell his friends from Central City High that he was coming back. All of them had thought that he moved with his 'aunt'.

"Wally?" he heard a familiar voice behind him as he stared at the flag a few feet above him. He turned around and saw his old friends Cassandra and Louise. Cassandra had a petite body, which was perfect for her ballet and pale skin. She had bright grey eyes with black rectangular glasses, long wavy light golden-brown hair while Louise had red hair up to her shoulders with blue eyes. She was a few inches taller than Cassandra and had tan skin. "Wally, is that you?" Cassandra asked. The redhead smiled and walked towards some of his friends and hugged them. Cassandra on his left and Louise on his right. He backed away a bit to look at his slightly smaller friends.

"Where're Nathan and Kyle?" Wally asked, still smiling.

"They're not here yet." Louise said with her high voice, "But more importantly, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, I decided to come back. Is that so surprising?" Wally said.

"Well," Cassandra said, "yeah, it is."

"Well, get used to it cause I'm staying here. And I might join a few other activities." Wally replied, "I don't know, maybe soccer? The point is, I have all the free time I need now. Oh and I want you guys to meet someone!" he cried out.

"Who?" Louise asked. "Your girlfriend?" she said with a teasing voice. Wally had been e-mailing his old friends about his girlfriend, well ex-girlfriend. Hearing the word girlfriend just after a breakup pretty much gave Wally a few punches in the gut. His expression became sadder, much sadder, actually, more like depression.

"What's wrong, Wally?" Cassandra asked, noticing the redhead's sad face.

"Uh, nothing." Wally answered, "And uh, no. Actually, I broke up with her last week." He rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! But why didn't you tell us?" Louise cried out.

"I don't know. It was just last week and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm still not really over it." He replied, looking sadder than before.

"Well, we're really sorry to hear that. After what you've said, she sounded awesome." The brunette said, "Anyway, who did you want us to meet?"

"Uh, I met her yesterday. She's new and her name's Vanessa. She'll be here any minute." Wally said as he saw his other friends, Nathan and Kyle walk up to him.

"Am I dreaming or is that stupid redhead here?" Nathan asked Kyle jokingly as they joined the group of teenagers. Both boys chuckled and Kyle pinched Nathan and he cried out in pain.

"I guess not." Kyle answered and the three others giggled. Kyle faced the redhead. "Dude, what are you doing here?"

"Well," Wally said, "I'm transferring. Again. But don't worry, this time it's for good."

Nathan was pretty much the nerd of the class, he had skin like Wally's, his eyes were light brown and he had dark auburn hair while Kyle had slightly tanner skin than Nathan and he had dark brown hair and green eyes, not like Wally but brighter and his smile could get any girl.

"We've missed you, man." Nathan said.

"I miss you too guys." He replied.

"And guess what?" Louise said happily. "He wants us to meet this new girl named Vanessa."

"Really?" Kyle asked, not really buying it, "Is she hot?"

"Very." Wally answered with a grin plastered on his face.

"Wally, better keep it down before your girlfriend hears you." Nathan said and Wally felt another few punches on his stomach. His face became depressed again and everyone could see it.

"Uh," Cassandra interrupted, "he broke up with her last week."

"What?" Kyle cried out, "Sorry, man. We didn't know."

"It's okay. Cass and Lou didn't know either until a few minutes ago." Wally said using his friends' nicknames. Then Wally spotted a girl with a loose high bun with mini shorts, a white tank top and the same Converse shoes he saw the day before. He waved his hand frantically, shocking his friends in the process.

"Vanessa! Vanessa! Over here!" He shouted as loud as he could.

The girl turned around and saw the now familiar redhead. She smiled and walked up to the group, clutching onto her purple and black backpack.

"You guys, this is Vanessa Clark." Wally said to the other four people around him. "And Vanessa, this is Louise Jones, Cassandra Moreau, Nathan Anderson and Kyle Paterrson."

Kyle smiled at Vanessa and she smiled back. The olive skinned girl thought that Kyle was pretty good looking and vice versa.

"Wow, Wally, you weren't kidding when you said she was hot." Kyle said with a smile, he was always the confident one and he was never afraid of saying what he thought.

"Actually, Wally said that she was very hot, remember?" Nathan said, making Cassandra slightly jealous, who always had a crush on Nathan. Wally blushed slightly but Vanessa's cheeks were burning red from both comments. She never really thought of herself as pretty, much less hot.

"Come on guys; don't make the new girl uncomfortable." Louise interrupted them, putting her arm around Vanessa, like if they knew each other their whole lives. Louise was class president and was supposed to show every new student around. "And Wally, since you're also new, why don't you come along and I'll give you guys the tour."

"You're joking right?" Wally said, not really sure if his friend was joking or not. Louise smiled and waved at Cassandra to join them. The smaller girl walked with them, on the other side of Vanessa. The only other people left were Nathan, Kyle and Wally. Wally turned back to look at his friends, Nathan was staring at Cassandra and Kyle was staring at Vanessa. Wally waved his hand in front of their faces and chuckled when they didn't respond.

"I'm going to my old locker guys." Wally said with another chuckle. The redhead walked to his old locker and opened it. Nobody took it, thankfully. He put his books and some extra clothes in it and stared at the exact spot where he and Artemis's picture from Paris had been in his locker from Gotham Academy. He lightly touched the empty and slightly dusty spot. A tear streamed down his cheek and sighed, knowing he made his decision and would never see her again.

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><p>Artemis closed her magazine and looked up at the white clouds. The sun was shining beautifully over the dark blue sea and she listened intently as the waves crashed onto shore. She was sitting on the edge of the Mount Justice, the last place where she felt Wally's lips on hers. The first time she went up there after Wally had broken up with her was a week after he had quit the team. She remembered it so well.<p>

Once he told everyone he was quitting the team, nobody talked. They just stood there, wondering if they heard what he said correctly. After a few seconds, they all started to protest but Artemis had stayed where she was, frozen, knowing very well that it was her fault. She just stood there, staring at the redhead, trying to calm everyone down. She felt her heart pumping at an unbelievable speed. In the end, it was final. He quit.

Every single day, Artemis sat there as long as possible, she either brought a magazine, a book or just a simple notebook. Anything silent really, anything that left her alone in her own thoughts. Most of the time she would give up what she was doing and just remember the old days when Wally was still in the team, when they were still a couple. She remembered when Wally used to carry her to the cave, she remembered when she almost drowned and froze, and he was there to save her.

It's been 2 months since she last saw him. Luke was still living in the cave. The others didn't really mind. Over the past few weeks, Luke had become their friend. Adam was also still living in the cave. It didn't really matter, he was barely a toddler. He would barely even run. Luke was killing time by teaching Adam to talk some more. Batman had made arrangements that Luke would start school in M'gann and Connor's school this coming Monday. Batman had observed Luke; sometimes he even joined the team training with Black Canary. The Dark Knight asked Luke if he wanted to join the team. At first they were a bit doubtful but once Luke had shown what he could do ― just like he had shown what he could do when Sportsmaster was about to kill him. And apparently, he had learned a lot from the assassins. Luke still didn't answer Batman but nobody saw it coming.

Artemis just sat there. She let the sun warm her and the wind blow her hair thinking about all those memories. Without even noticing, Luke sat down beside her.

"It's time for training." He simply said. He normally never hung out with her when she did her daily routine of staying alone for a few hours. He normally just stood and told her it was time to go home or for training. He never sat down beside her. He never disturbed her. He knew she needed her time to think. He knew she was thinking about Wally, he knew that she would sob for hours until she had no more tears to shed, he knew she needed to be alone and be sad about Wally. That's why he never sat down beside her and watch the sun set so not unlike today. The blonde half Asian looked at Luke.

"Why are you here?" she asked as she sniffed.

"I think it's time." He barely whispered, a bit scared she might hit him, or worse, start sobbing all over again. But all she did was sigh and a few tears fell from her eyes. She whipped them and looked back at her best friend.

She nodded. "Maybe." She mumbled. Luke stood up and held out his hand. Artemis took it gratefully, knowing he and the rest of the team was going to be there for her.

"It's time for new beginnings." Luke said as he hugged her, knowing she needed it. They separated and she looked at him.

"Yeah, new beginnings." she mumbled.

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><p>Wally stood in his room trying to look for his English paper due for the day afterwards. His room got really messy after he broke up with Artemis. He kneeled beside his bed and looked under his bed; he reached under the bed and felt his paper. He pulled it out and stared at it. It wasn't his paper. It was the copy of the picture of Artemis and him on the <strong><em>Champs-Elysées<em>**. Without even knowing it, a few tears streamed down his face. Not one day passed that he didn't think of Artemis. Not one day. It always hurt him but it never hurt this much. It felt like he was being cheated on all over again but all the anger left him. Only sadness was left this time. He missed her so much. But yet, he felt like it was the right thing to do. _Or was it?_ He thought.

He stood up and walked towards his desk. He opened the last drawer, quiety and silenty tucked the picture in the drawer. He closed it and fell on the floor, like his legs just failed him. And he cried. Like a baby. But he didn't care. He was depressed. And he didn't care.

_It's time to move on, Wally_, he thought as he whipped a few tears, _it's time for new beginnings_.

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><p><strong>So? I know, a bit boring but I promise there's going to be WAY more Spitfire afterwards. They're going to meet again, hopefully pretty soon but for now, it's like this. And tell me how you like the new characters! PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	2. Artemis's 16th Birthday

**Okay, I'm back! I know, it took forever but I didn't know what chapter to do for the second since my mind was full of them but I thought this would go best. Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Artemis's 16th Birthday<span>

Artemis along with Alice and Amy were going to Alice's mansion. They arrived and the two girls pulled Artemis towards the garden. The double doors opened and different colored lights filled Artemis's eyes. She blinked a few times and saw almost everyone she knew.

"Happy Birthday!" They all yelled as confetti canons blew up and colored lights flashed.

Without even knowing it, a smirk appeared on her face. Everyone except Amy, Alice and herself were dressed either formally or semi-formally. Ollie was a few feet away from her, his left arm around Dinah's waist. Her mentor was dressed in a black tuxedo while her trainer was wearing a flowy black dress stopping at her knees, tight around her waist and the black straps around her shoulders and beside them was her mother sitting on her wheelchair, wearing a long red gown and her hair tied into a neat ponytail. A few of her classmates who weren't bulling her were there, all wearing tuxes, mini dresses or gowns. In front of everyone was a wooden stage, the wall covered in emerald green curtains and a banner going across the wall written in bold on it '**HAPPY 16****th**** BIRTHDAY ARTEMIS!**'. Standing on the stage were Alex and Dick. The part French boy was in formal trousers, a long sleeved shirt with a color and a silver vest while Dick was wearing a tux with an untied butterfly tie, both of them holding microphones in their hands.

"Everyone," Dick smiled as he pointed towards Artemis, "Artemis Crock, the birthday girl!" Everyone cheered and some even jumped up and down.

The birthday girl saw Megan in an orange dress that looked like something for prom and beside her was Connor, wearing something similar to Alex's attire. A few feet away from the buffet was Kaldur, wearing slippers with a suit, who looked really out of place but he didn't seem to mind, he just smiled. She felt her friends' arms around hers tightening, she looked at them, both smiling. She then felt like the stupidest person ever. _I should have known they would plan something_, she thought as she shook her head. The three of them were walking towards the stage on a green carpet. Artemis could feel the slightly uneven masonry floor under the carpet she was walking on. The three girls stopped in front of the stage and turned around to face the crowd.

"Let the party begin!" she heard Alex yell from behind her.

Then, she remembered that exactly one month ago, it was her ex-boyfriend's birthday. She saw Megan quickly rush towards them. "Happy Birthday Arty!" she said as she hugged her teammate tightly. Once she let go of Artemis, she pulled the birthday girl back inside the mansion, then bringing her to Alice's purple room then making her sit down on the couch. The redhead rushed to the closet and brought back with her a huge rectangular box wrapped in green. The Martian was on her knees once she was in front of Artemis. She gave the bow to the birthday girl and smiled.

"It's from all three of us." Megan said as the two other girls sat down at each end of Artemis. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked Artemis when she just laid the present on her lap. "Open it!" Artemis ripped the green paper off of the box and threw it on the floor. She opened the white box and folded inside of it was a forest green colored dress. She ever so slowly pulled it out of the box and stared at it.

"Oh my God." She whispered.

"Go ahead and try it on!" Amy said from beside her. "We bought it especially for today." Artemis turned to her friends and hugged all of them.

"Thank you guys so much." She mumbled into their ears.

"Go! Put it on!" Alice yelled as they all pulled away.

Artemis entered Alice's closet and closed the door behind her, the closet was a whole room, almost twice as big as her bathroom. She changed into the dress and looked at herself in the full body mirror. The dress looked so like her. It looked like a short prom dress but it still looked amazing. It was a strapless dress, a separate cloth of the same color was tightly around her waist and the skirt was puffy and ended at her mid thigh, showing off her long legs. Her '_**Artemis'**_ necklace was shinning and looked like it belonged with the dress. She wondered what Wally would say if he say her like this. Maybe another one of his cheesy pick up line. She smiled, knowing she was most likely right. She pushed the thoughts aside. She walked out of the closet and swirled for her friends.

"How do I look?" she asked the others.

"Amazing!" Amy said.

"Fambulous!" Megan shouted.

"Breathtaking!" Alice cried out.

"Thanks." She replied with a bright smile.

"Oh my God!" Amy shrieked.

"What's wrong?" Artemis asked, scared that she ripped her dress or something.

"I totally forgot to buy shoes!" Amy said as she sighed in despair.

They all stared at Artemis's black knee high boots. "Wait!" Megan yelled as an idea popped into her head. "Zatanna!"

"What about her?" Artemis asked.

"Zatanna? Who on earth is Zatanna?" Amy asked, confused.

"Zatanna? As in the girl that Dick likes Zatanna?" Alice asked as the name sounded awfully familiar.

Megan and Artemis ignored them and just looked at each other. "She told me she was going to give you heels for your birthday!" Megan stood up and ran out the door, most likely go looking for the magician. A few minutes later, Megan appeared with Zatanna, holding a box wrapped in black and green. Zatanna was wearing a black tube dress with a thin white belt around her upper waist and black stilettos.

"Megan said you needed me?" the young magician asked as she handed Artemis the box.

Like before, Artemis ripped the wrapping paper off and revealed a shoe box. She opened the box and found a pair of black strap stilettos and a headband a few crystal leaves on the right side of the headband. She put them on and stood up but almost fell. She walked slowly then quickly got the hang of it. All four girls sat stood behind her and they were now curling her hair and separating it into two, most of it laid o her right side. And for the finishing touch, Amy put the crystal headband on Artemis's head.

Amy and Alice changed while Artemis and Megan went down the stairs and found her way back to the immense garden. Most of the younger people danced on the masonry floor while the DJ played a few song not too far from the buffet and the adults sat down around circular table scattered all over the garden. Soon enough, everyone was looking at her and they all clapped for no apparent reason. Dick came near her and told her happy birthday. It was slightly weird. It's been weird between them ever since Wally and she broke up; she thought that maybe Dick was holding a grudge against her. But that didn't mean she appreciated the birthday present.

"I still can't believe Robin skipped on your birthday!" Megan said beside her. Both Artemis and Dick chuckled. Megan, Connor, Kaldur, Zatanna and Luke all thought that Dick and Robin were two different people while Alice, Alex and Amy knew the same thing but never actually met Robin. "What's so funny?" the Martian asked them.

"Nothing. It's just that Connor's looking for you," Dick said, "he's sitting by the buffet with Kaldur, Alex and Luke."

"Luke's here?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Megan said.

"Nothing, just a bit surprising since he only knows you guys." Artemis replied. "Can you tell him that I'll talk to him later?" she asked Megan.

"Sure, see you later." Megan walked into the dancing crowd and to the boys' table.

Artemis turned back to Dick, half laughing. "So, why did you come as Dick? And not Robin?" She saw Dick blush slightly.

"Nothing, I just thought that people could easily recognize me as Robin cause the only thing covering my identity are my shades, and plus, it's the middle of the night. I would just look stupid." Dick explained.

"But I bet you really wanted to go as Robin huh?" Artemis asked. "For Zatanna?" she teased slightly. Dick blushed even more.

"I did it for my identity. I couldn't risk it." He said almost sad. Artemis tapped his shoulder and squeezed him.

"Thanks for coming." She said, letting go of him.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." He replied and he gave her a small red birthday bag. "Happy Birthday again." Artemis took it and was about to open it but Dick stopped her. "Promise me you'll open it when you get home." She looked at his eyes, his eyes pleaded her too.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Promise me." He said, a little more stiffly this time.

"Fine, I promise." She said, "So, Dick, do you want me to introduce you to Zatanna?" She asked, like if the few seconds that just passed never happened.

"Why not?" Dick shrugged and Artemis took his arm in her and lead her to Zatanna. She was by herself at the corner of the party.

"Zatann, I want you to meet someone." Artemis said.

"Hi, I'm Dick Grayson." The Boy Wonder held out his hand. Zatanna looked at his hesitantly, but took it anyway.

"Zatanna." The magician said.

"Well, I'll leave you guys now and hope you guys have a fun night." Artemis smiled and walked away but stopped to look at the two.

"Let me guess, straight A student?" Artemis heard Zatanna ask Robin.

"You could say that." Dick said a bit nerdishly, "but don't worry, I'm also pretty good as sports."

"Really?" Zatanna asked, sounding like she didn't completely believe it. "Like what?"

"Gymnastics. All gold medals." Dick answered.

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><p>Artemis walked towards the table where Luke should be. He was there in a tuxedo, talking with Kaldur and Alex, who he just met. All three stood up and went to hug her, first Kaldur then Alex and last, Luke, only he didn't let go.<p>

"Happy Birthday." He whispered into her ear. She pulled away and smiled.

"Thanks." She said. He held out his hand and she took it.

"Wanna dance?" he asked her.

"Uh, I don't know how." She admitted.

"I'll teach you." He said with a grin as he pulled her onto the dance floor.

Right as they were about to dance, a slow song played and she slowly put her hands around Luke's neck while his hand were around her waist. They just looked at each other. Grey and bleu. His right hand slowly went to her cheek. "You look beautiful." He whispered. His hand on her cheek seemed so unnatural for her. It felt nice but it just didn't feel like it belonged. The song quickly finished and they separated their embrace. Artemis walked away but Luke caught her wrist, pulling her back towards him.

"Look, I didn't mean for it to be weird." He apologized. "I just want you to know that I'm not trying to take advantage of you."

"I know you're not." She replied.

Silence.

"Actually, I know this girl and I think you'll like her." Artemis said out of nowhere.

"Really? Can I meet her?" he asked.

"Sure, she's here." She looked around the garden. "Somewhere. Anyway, her name's Alice. Actually, this is her house."

"Wow, don't you think that's kind of weird. I mean a rich chick and a boy without a home?"

"What? Of course not! And anyway, you guys have a lot in common, she loves sports, especially basketball and she's a brown belter in Tae Kwon Do. She's a straight A student and loves Greek Mythology. Reminds you of someone?" she asked teasingly.

He smiled. "Fine. Let's go meet this Alice of yours." She jumped up and down then took his hand and pulled him towards their table. Everyone was sitting there. Megan, Connor, Kaldur, Amy, Dick, who was as red as a tomato, Zatanna, Alex and Alice, leaving just two spaces left. Artemis sat down beside Megan and Luke sat down in between Artemis and Alice, who he didn't know was Alice at that time.

"Alice," Artemis said as she faced her friend, "this is Luke, an old friend." She gestured to Luke who smiled his bright white smile. Alice thought that Luke was cute right away, with his spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes that seemed to mesmerized her. _Well, they're hitting it off_, she thought.

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><p>Everyone was chanting the Happy Birthday song as Artemis was about to blow her 16 candles. It was a four story chocolatecaramel cake. On each story were a few candles and on the tallest one, it was written **'Happy 16****th**** Birthday Artemis!'** just like the banner. She and the cake were on stage so that everyone could see her in her green dress.

"Make a wish!" she heard Ollie yell from the crowd. She took a deep breath and blew out the candles. Everyone cheered and she was desperately hoping that her wish would come true. Just then, she saw from the corner of her eye, a figure, leaning on the open doorway. Wally. She just stared at him, not quite believing he was there. Alice and Amy pulled her off the stage but she ran for Wally. He moved slowly around the house and exited the by the front door. She was right at his heels the whole time but once she arrived in the front lawn, nobody was there. She turned her head furiously from left to right, wanting his arms around her again. That was her wish. To have him just for a few minutes, a few seconds if it was the only time she could have with him. Then out of nowhere, she felt arms wrap around her, the familiar muscular arms that she was longing for so long. She relaxed in his arms letting her head lay on his shoulders. "You look beautiful." She heard him say. It was nice when Luke had said it but it just felt amazing and warm when he said it. It made her feel in the right place. "You still wear the necklace?" he asked referring to the silver necklace she was wearing, like if he didn't expect her to.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked back. He didn't reply, just silence. But it felt nice. It reminded her of all the relaxing times they had. "I miss you." She whispered. "But I need to move on." They stoid there, "But I can't." For a moment, he became stiff but relaxed a few moments later. Silence again. "Why did you come?"

"I just couldn't stay away, at least not today." He said and sighed, "Happy Birthday." He simply said. And in a split second, he disappeared. She turned around but didn't find him, instead she found a gift wrapped in light green placed on the floor. She picked it up and read the card that came with it.

_**I didn't want it to go to waste. Happy Birthday.**_

That's it. Artemis touched the card lightly and realized that it was slightly wet. Tears. It took a lot out of Wally to actually go there, much less write a few words.

"Artemis?" she looked up and saw Kaldur at the front door. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing." Whipped a tear she hadn't realized she had shed. She wondered what Wally's gift was. She decided that she would open it in private along with Dick's present.

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><p><strong>IMPORTANT! Oooohhhh... What do you think the presents are? I'm saving that for next chapter. Anyway, I know, very unSpitfire but like I said, there's going to be more. And what do you think about the couples? Do you guys think that Alex should get a love interest as well? PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	3. Goddess Of The Moon Loving Someone New?

**Hey! I'm back!I know, I didn't update last week, and I'm really REALLY sorry but I had to write a "Fiche de Lecture" for French and then for English, I had to write a TALE! As in a fairy tale. But anyway, I'm so happy that YJ is back! Wohoo! And I just saw episode 20 and apparently, Wally school IS called Central City High School. Isn't that weird? Not really since it's the name of the city but whatevs. And I know the way this chapter is written sucks but I didn't really know how to write this one. I did my best though and it's the thought that counts right? PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: The Goddess Of The Moon Loving Someone New?<span>

Artemis slumped back on her couch. She was exhausted. After the party, Ollie and Dinah helped Artemis and her mother bring all her gifts back to their apartment. She's never had that many presents before. Artemis saw Dick's present and reached for it. She quickly finished inside the bag and pulled out a disc. She looked confused for a moment the stood up. She walked to the TV put tripped. She groaned and took off her stilettos. She wondered how Zatanna could walk in them for so long. She put the disc in the DVD player and sat back on the couch. She waited for it to load and to her shock; Wally was on her TV screen. The speedster was sitting on his couch, the light was shining through his messed up red hair and he was wearing a white dress shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way up revealing part of his chest. The sun made the shirt see through and for some reason, she blushed. She didn't even know why. She remembered the first time that they met, all he was wearing were swimming trunks, his chest all bare. She felt blood rush to her cheeks even more.

"Uh, Happy Birthday Arty." She heard Wally say as he rubbed his neck, "This is stupid man."

"Just do it, KF." She heard Dick talk behind the camera.

"Why are we doing this in the first place?" Wally asked.

"Because you asked for _**my**_ help, and if we don't do this, when Artemis's birthday comes, you'd be the stupidest guy in the universe."

"But that's still over four months away!" the redhead protested. Artemis looked at the side of the screen and saw the date. It was recorded back in February

"Just do it already!" Dick yelled and Wally bit his lip then looked back at the camera.

"Fine," Wally replied, "so, uh, I really didn't know what to give you for your birthday, which seems kind of stupid since it's still in a few months but I just really wanted to be sure, I'd have one so uh," he took a piece of paper from beside him and held it out so that the camera could see it. "This is your present. It's not much, heck, you won't even be able to touch it but I was just in my garden the other night and I was staring at the stars. And I thought of you." he exhaled, "So, I named a star after you."

Artemis froze. _Did_ _he just say he named a star after me? _

There was a silence for a moment but then the redhead continued talking. "And anyway, what's the Goddess of the Moon without a star?" he joked.

"Happy?" Wally asked Dick.

"It was corny but satisfying." Dick answered.

The picture changed and this time it was only Dick, in a dark room sitting on the edge of a bed, Artemis figured it was his room.

"Hey Arty, Happy Birthday." The Boy Wonder said through the camera. "So, yeah that was Wally practicing what he was going to say for your birthday a few months ago. I wanted to put more than one but honestly, you do not want to watch them. They're horrible." Dick chuckled, "Anyway, that was to show you how much you meant to him, he named a freaking star after you. And I know that you're hurt and all by the breakup but so is he. He hasn't been the same since. And I really don't know why I'm telling you this but you have to know that even if you lied to him a million times, kissed thousands of guys, he'd still love you bigger than anything in the world, heck the universe. I've never seen him so happy before and then I've never seen him so depressed before. Once, we went to the ceiling of a building, he went to the edge I thought he was gonna kill himself." He said with a slightly shocked expression on his face, "You make him crazy. Crazy happy, crazy depressed or simply crazy crazy. I'm telling you, I think that without you in his life, he's more miserable than when you broke his heart. Anyway, just wanted to say Happy Birthday, oh and my actual present is in the built in pocket of the bag." Dick smiled and the TV turned black.

Artemis was still a bit in shock. Did Dick just tell me to get back into Wally's life? She thought. Instinctively, the blonde girl searched through the bag that was supposed to be the wrapper. She felt a slight bump; it was indeed, a pocket. She fished in it and took out a silver bracelet. A charm bracelet to be exact. There was a charm of a moon, one of a star, another of a bow and an arrow, ready to be shot and one of a mask, the one normally for masquerades and fancy parties. Artemis knew it meant secrets. Being hidden behind a mask full of lies. She felt like someone just punches her several times in the gut. She knew Dick meant all of the Team having a secret identity but she felt guiltier than ever.

She pushed the thoughts away and smiled, she put the bracelet on. She put it against the moonlight and it shined. For some reason, she thought it was exactly like her. She then turned to Wally's gift. She took it and tore the paper covering it. It was a small box. She opened it and there was the same paper that he held in Dick's video. Under it was another piece of paper.

_Love can make and give you a lot of things, depression, hurt, it can even damage you permanently but it will always give you this feeling that you can't feel when you're with anyone else. I felt all those things with you and more. Happiness, sadness but most of all, you gave me the most important reason to live._

―_Wally_

A tear ran down Artemis's cheek. Ever since she's met Wally, she's felt hatred, happiness, hurt and love. In a way, it made her weaker. In another, it made her stronger than ever. But it also made her more human. It made her a teenage girl. It made her who she was supposed to be. All that thanks to him. And she lost him. And she didn't know if she could ever have him back. Even if she could have him as a friend, she would prefer that than not have him at all. _No Artemis_, she thought, _you're supposed to be moving on_. But how could you ever move on from your first love? The love that you thought was always going to be beside you. Who was she kidding? She loved his stupid jokes. She loved it when his cheeks turned redder than his hair. She loved how worrisome he could get. She loved the way his arms fit perfectly around her. She loved the feeling she got every time she was with him, the feeling that always grew even stronger than the last time she saw him. She loved his nerdy side. She loved how clueless he could be. She loved every single being of him. She loved him and no one could stop her from doing so. She loved him, period. She loved him.

But could that stop her from loving someone new?

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><p>In a rush, Artemis took her books from her locker and shoved them into her green backpack. She then realized that something fell. She picked it up and flipped it over. It was her picture with Wally on Les Champs Elysées. She gulped and used it as a bookmark on the book she was reading. She closed her locker and was about to walk through the hallway but accidentally bumped into someone. She apologized and looked up. She bumped into a boy about her age. He was tall and slim, his face was faced perfectly shaped, his hazel colored hair was messed up and he had dark brown eyes that when they met the grey ones in front of him, Artemis felt suddenly warm inside.<p>

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you." The boy said, holding a piece of paper in his hand and on his shoulders were the straps of his brown backpack.

Artemis was silent for a moment but realized that the boy actually talked to her. "No, I'm sorry. I'm such a klutz sometimes."

"Well, either way, can you help me with something?" he asked.

"Sure, what do you need?"

The boy's cheeks turned red and he smiled, revealing a brilliant white smile that reminded Artemis of Luke for some reason. "I have no idea where my locker is." The boy said embarrassed.

"What's the number?" Artemis asked.

"215." The boy answered and Artemis suddenly became very pale. That was Wally locker. She had totally forgotten it was now free. "I'm sort of new here. Just moved in from New York." The boy explained, trying not to freak the girl he bumped into.

Artemis was still in shock but within a few seconds, she finally replied. "Uh, okay. I thought so, I haven't seen you around here before. But don't you think that's just stupid since we only have less than a month left of school?" Artemis asked, smiling slightly at the thought.

"Yeah but my dad, he wants me to finish the school year. He probably just doesn't want me around the house the whole day and do nothing."

"Well, I'm happy to meet you. I'm Artemis, Artemis Crock. Sophomore." Artemis held out her hand and the boy took it gratefully.

"Simon Anderson. Also sophomore." He introduced himself.

"Well, you want me to show you to your locker or do you just plan to leave your textbooks in the hall?" She said as she walked towards her locker, where she just came from, not looking behind her if Simon was following her. She turned around when she arrived at her ex-boyfriend's old locker, Simon was following her but was a few feet away, when he neared her, she knocked onto the metal of the locker and smiled. "Locker 215 at your service." She said as she leaned onto it.

"Thanks." Simon said as he took the lock into his hands. He cursed as the lock wouldn't open.

Artemis chuckled. "Here, give it to me." She took the lock and used the pass code that she knew too well, even though she hadn't used it in three months.

The lock opened and Simon looked at the archer in amazement. "How did you do that?"

"I―" she choked on her own words. "I used to know the person who owned the locker." She simply said as her gazed moved from Simon to her feet. After a few moments, she looked back up. "My locker's right here." She motioned towards the locker behind her and tapped the number '214'. "Look like we're gonna be neighbors."

Simon opened his new locker. It was empty. Except for the pile of pictures. Simon took them and stared wide eyed at pictures of Artemis and Wally with some other people her didn't know. Some were at the park or at school or even at malls. But there was always Artemis in it. "What are these?" Simon asked Artemis.

She looked at him, then at the pictures. She quickly took them from him and put them in her bag. "That was nothing."

Simon stared at her and shrugged. "Uh, one more thing though. I have no idea where my next class is." He blushed in embarrassment.

"No prob. I'll show you around." Artemis said as she walked the hallways of Gotham Academy with Simon, showing him where to go and what not while some of the students were talking about her as she passed. They still didn't like her, the students. Some of them stopped teasing her out of pity but most just kept talking about her behind her back. Although, she knew very well they were talking about her.

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><p><strong>That's it for now. I know short but I didn't want to give it all away in one chapter. Anyway, what do you think of Simon? This time, he's named after my fave character in The Mortal Instruments series. And what do you think's going to happen on the next chapter? PLEASE REVIEW and I'm sorry again<strong>

**PS: Episodes 23, Insecurity, is about Artemis and her secrets... Can't wait to see it!**


	4. Wanna Be My Date?

**Hey! How are you people? Anyway, there's nothing important in this chapter but I didn't know what to write. I was reserving another one for next chapter. Hope you like it. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Wanna Be My Date?<span>

Wally entered school and was joined by Vanessa gripping onto the straps of her purple backpack. Today she was wearing skinny jeans, a white tank top with a long black cardigan and ballet flats while her hair was down in curls, result of leaving her hair in a bun for a few hours. And her bag was bouncing up and down on her back. "Hey, so can I still come later?" she asked the redhead whose head was in the air for a few seconds. They had a project due for next week and they still hadn't started.

"Yeah, Cassie and Mark would love to see you again. We have to drop by the supermarket though and buy potatoes 'cause my aunt and uncle are coming for dinner." He said, and faced her, "Actually, you wanna stay for dinner?"

Vanessa stared at him for a moment and smiled, "Sure, I'll just text my mom later."

When they entered the hall of Central City High School, it was packed with students, as it always was right before the warning bell rang. They walked together to Vanessa's locker and there, Kyle was waiting for them. Wally caught him staring at Vanessa and elbowed him. Kyle snapped out of his daze and looked at his friend as if he didn't even notice he was there. "You were staring. Again." Wally whispered although Vanessa heard them and a smirk appeared on her face as she dug into her locker, hiding the smile from the boys.

The girl turned around and walked away slowly backwards towards her next class, "I got chem. You know how Mr. Vasse is when we're late. See you guys later!" she cried out as she turned back around and walked up the stairs.

Kyle just stared at where Vanessa was and Wally thought he was about to drool. "Dude, can't you be any more obvious?" Wally asked with a chuckle as he closed Vanessa's locker for her.

Kyle's gaze changed and he was now staring at his friend. "Is it that obvious?" Kyle asked, worried. The speedster nodded. Kyle exhaled deeply and he felt his knees buckle. "God, it's just that― Ugh!" his hand went through his brown hair, which messed it up even more but Kyle's hair was the kind always looked pleasant and made him look hot, "I just can't stop thinking about her, you know. Every time I think about her, I can feel my heart pumping and I get all nervous and sweaty and say stupid things." Wally knew that Kyle had a sort of crush on Vanessa, heck everyone else knew. It was just way too obvious. The weird part, Kyle was a ladies' man. Sort of like Wally over a year ago, before he even met Artemis, when he still had a stupid crush on Miss Martian. But Wally never really got the girls. They would just reject him, as usual. Kyle on the other hand, he was on the soccer team since freshman and dated almost everyone in their class, and even now, all the girls were all over him. But ever since Vanessa came to school, he seem to have forgotten all about the other girls and focus all of his attention on the olive skinned girl with jet black hair and grey eyes. She was pretty, no she was hot beautiful but so were a lot of high schoolers in their school. "And I've never felt like this, man." Kyle said as her clutched onto his messenger bag.

Wally put his hand on Kyle's shoulder and he sighed. It was fake of course, "You're in love man." He joked, knowing it would bug him.

Kyle shrugged the hand off of him and looked at Wally. "I'm serious, Wally. I can't stop thinking about her. Once, I was writing her name on my notebook and I didn't even realize it until Nathan started laughing his ass off." Although normally Kyle would have a grin on his face saying that, his eyes looked depressed and his lips were curved downward.

"You have to face the truth one day, Kyle." Wally walked away, towards Biology, "You can't deny your love for Vanessa forever!" he yelled and all the students turned around and stared at him, then at Kyle.

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><p>Wally whistled along the smaller hallway, and stopped dead when he reached the staircase, the one that nobody really used and found himself staring at two people making out in the corner. The boy was tall and had auburn hair girl, his hand was messing up the girl's long wavy golden-brown hair and was pressing her small body towards him. Even if the girl's back was facing Wally, he knew far too well the petite body of the ballet dancer. It was Cassandra. And the boy's hair was short and messy, the hair of his friend Nathan. <em>So<em>, Wally thought, _they finally hooked up_. He grinned and silently walked away from them then headed towards the cafeteria.

Louise, Vanessa and Kyle were already at their usual table, talking about some movie they saw last week. Kyle was beside Vanessa and across them was Louise with a black headband on her short red hair. Wally sat down beside her and started laughing so loud that his friends thought he was mad.

Louise stared at her friend and wondered what this was about, "Wally, are you alright?" the redheaded girl beside him asked.

But before he could answer, Nathan and Cassandra walked towards them and took their seats, Cassandra beside Wally and Nathan beside Vanessa. Both their cheeks were red as Louise's hair, which was slightly darker than Wally's and they tried not making eye contact with each other. Seeing them, Wally started laughing even more. When he finally calmed down, his eyes were wet. "So, where were you guys?" Wally asked Cassandra and Nathan.

"We had History." Nathan replied.

"Really? I thought Mr. Petit was in the hospital?" Louise said as she lifted her fork with a carrot stick stuck to it, "You know, because his wife is giving birth?"

Kyle looked at them suspiciously, "Ha! So where were you guys?" he asked.

"Fine, we were at the library." Cassandra told them.

"Liar." Vanessa said pointing her fork at them.

Cassandra put her hand in front of her to protect herself from the pointy silverware, "Calm down V! Pay attention to where you're pointing that thing!"

Vanessa blushed, "Sorry," she put down her fork, "But I was just at the library. You guys weren't." All the other three looked at the couple. She looked at Nathan and Cassandra closely and chuckled, "You guys hooked up didn't you?" Vanessa asked, she always knew everything about the dating life, whether it came to celebrities or students. "Was that why you were laughing?" Vanessa asked Wally. And he grinned. "Oh God!" Vanessa slapped her hands together, "I wish I saw that!"

Both Cassandra and Nathan blushed. And everyone started laughing and then congratulated them, "It's about time!" Kyle yelled so that the whole cafeteria was staring at them.

Wally opened the front door to his house and let Vanessa, Mark and Cassie enter before him, holding onto a paper bag full of potatoes. "Wally?" he heard his mom ask from the kitchen. "Is that you?"

"No mom, it's a burglar who so happens to have the keys to the front door." He said sarcastically and he heard his classmate chuckle.

All four of them entered the kitchen and saw the redhead's mother cooking, "Hi Mrs. West." Vanessa told her with a smile.

"Oh Vanessa, how's your mother?" she asked as she looked up to the see the kids.

Vanessa taped her fingers lightly on the kitchen counter, "She's great. Would you mind if I stayed for dinner?" she asked Mrs. West.

"No, not at all. Wally already told me anyway." She started mixing the bowl once again but before Vanessa and Wally left the room, his mom called him. He turned around and this time his mother was holding an envelope, it was fancy, white and shined in the light. "It came for you and your uncle in the mail this morning. It's an invitation to Oliver and Dinah's wedding." The adult said. Mark took it and passed it to his now legally older brother.

Wally took the letter from his little brother and messed his hair a bit, "Thanks kiddo." The redhead said with a bright smile.

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><p>"I can't believe they made me a flower girl!" Artemis shrieked. "I barley even wear dresses, you really think I wanna throw flowers on the ground?"<p>

M'gan put her hand together and looked like she was praying, "Come on Artemis!" she begged. "It's gonna be fun!"

"You know what's gonna be funny?" Robin asked as he stood up from the living room couch. "Seeing Batman and Wonder Woman walking down the aisle as best man and maid of honor!" The youngster started laughing like never before.

Everyone stared at him as his eyes became watery. "Well," Zatanna said from the arm chair, "I for one, think its sweet."

"I'm surprised Robin didn't get the role of ring bearer." Artemis said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Kaldur was chopping some garlic, "Who _is_ the ring bearer?" he asked from behind the kitchen counter.

"Who knows?" Artemis answered, "They said nothing's final until the invitations get sent out. All we know is that Zatanna, M'gann and I will be flower girls."

"Speaking of flower girls," Black Canary entered the room, "we need to get our dresses fit today. You guys have to come to get your measures taken." She turned to the boys, "And you guys, have to get suits."

Connor scowled, "Can't I just wear what I wore at Artemis's birthday party?" he said at the far corner of the couch.

"No, I need you boys to wear a suit. Or at least a vest." The bride to be said.

Superboy sighed in defeat; he knew there was no winning over this one. He got up followed by Kaldur, who put the garlic in a container in the fridge then by Robin and the girls.

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><p>Artemis was dying of laughter.<p>

They were in the cafeteria and Alice had just asked if Dick was going to ask Zatanna out. He choked. It reminded Dick of the magician in her beautiful dark blue dress he saw her in the day before. Once he swallowed his piece of broccoli, he reached for his glass and gulped down half its contents. He closed his eyes but everyone was still looking at him.

"So, are you? I mean you guys sort of hit it off at Artemis's party." Alex said beside Artemis.

But before Dick could reply, Alice opened her mouth, "How come you knew Zatanna before the party?" Alice asked, "I mean, I thought you already had a crush on a girl named Zatanna. But at the party, apparently, you guys had just met."

The archer poked her peas and took a bite out of it, "It's a long story." Artemis and Dick said in unison.

The other three stared at them. Alice looked at the blonde girl suspiciously. Alice and Alex knew she was Green Arrow's sidekick. But they knew nothing of Dick being The Boy Wonder.

Although, anyone could say anything, a dark haired boy walked towards them with his tray full of food. He smiled at the group and Artemis couldn't help but smile as well. She faced her friends. "Guys, this is Simon. He's new." She faced Simon, "And Si, this is Alice, Dick, Amy and Alex." Simon couldn't help but smile at the new nickname.

"Nice to meet you guys." Simon said.

"Hey Simon, why don't you sit with us?"Alice asked. She was the most hospitable of all of them, no wonder she was class president in her previous school.

Alex and Artemis moved to make space for Simon and he sat down beside the archer. Dick looked from Simon to Artemis and shook his head as his fork pierced another vegetable.

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><p>Artemis had just finished her last class of the day, Math; her ears were exhausted from trying to keep up with Mrs. Goirand's rambling on for two hours straight. She headed for her locker and took the books she needed for her homework, which for her luck was only a few. She was almost at the exit when Simon ran up to her and slowly walked beside her, panting.<p>

"Hey Si," she said with a smile. She could smile again. A real one. Not the fake ones she's been putting on for two months an a half, just a few weeks before her birthday.

"Ca-can you slo-slow down?" he asked as she could feel his heart pacing.

She stopped dead on her tracks. Simon put his hands on his knees and took quick and uneven breaths. She stared as his back went up and down, his dark brown hair, slightly wet from the sweat and his messenger bag on the floor beside him. After a while, he stood up and smiled at her. It was just the second day they've met, yet, she acted like he was Dick or even Alex.

"Uh, are you doing anything right now?" he asked her. She shrugged. "I was wondering if you would show me around a bit. I was gonna ask Alex but I can't find him anywhere."

She smiled at him. "I'll show you around the park. It's a pretty calm place to stay."

Artemis and Simon walked around the park and tried to find a good spot to do their homework. Simon suddenly ran to a tree, "What about here?" he yelled. Artemis froze. It was the exact same tree where Wally and she used to stay. Where they kissed. Where they were some of her best memories. Simon walked back towards her and waved his hand in front of her face. It took her a few moments to realize he was there.

"Artemis? Are you alright?" he asked as she came back to reality.

She turned away from him and nodded, "I'm fine." she rubbed the back of her neck, "Can we just go to the diner? I'm hungry anyway." But before Simon could give a response, the blonde girl turned around and walked towards the exit. They soon arrived at a dinner near Artemis's apartment. She sat at a comfy four-person booth beside the window followed by Simon who sat opposite her. They were greeted by a waitress, blonde and tan skin with green eyes, her uniform fit her perfectly and she took out a small notepad. "The usual please, Kris, thanks." Artemis told the waitress as she wrote the order.

"And you sir?" the waitress, whose name was obviously Kris asked politely.

"Uh, I'll just have some fries and ice tea please." He answered. Kris wrote his order onto her notepad and walked back towards the kitchen. There was a weird silence between Simon and Artemis, well at least for him; Artemis was just staring at the window, her chin on her palm. "What was that about?" Simon finally asked.

Her gaze changed, she was now staring at Simon, waiting for his answer. "What was what about?" she asked half paying attention to him.

"You know what. One second, we're walking around the park, the next, you're completely frozen, heck, I would have thought you were a statue." He said, "So what the heck happened?"

"I swear; it was nothing." She instinctively reached for Simon hand, which was unusual since they've only known each other for barely 48 hours. But when her hand was over hers, he didn't pull it away. Once she realized she was holding his hand, she wanted to pull her hand back but left it where it was; somehow she knew he would feel hurt if she did.

Simon, now realizing that Artemis wasn't going to tell her, gave up. "Fine, if that happens again though, I won't let you go that easily." He told her.

At that very moment, Kris came back with a tray full of food and stopped as she saw Simon and Artemis holding hands on the table. Kris was surprised, she knew Wally, almost every afternoon, they would have a snack at the diner, on weekends, and they even had breakfast there, sharing their eggs and bacon.

As Simon realized Kris's shocked expression, he took back his hand. Artemis soon realized as well and pulled back her hand. Kris blinked one more time and slowly put their orders on their tables. In front of Artemis was a grilled cheese sandwich and a regular coke while in front of Simon was a basket of French fries and ice tea.

Kris smiled at Simon, "I didn't know you have a new bf, Arty." The waitress said, and Artemis shocked on her coke.

"I'm not her―" Simon started but Kris squealed in delight.

This time Kris was facing Artemis and was jumping on her toes, "I told you you'd get over Wally pretty soon!" she cried out.

Artemis's eyes darkened, "He's _not_ my boyfriend." she said firmly as her grip tightened around her soda can.

Kris stopped jumping and looked down at her feet with a light blush, "I'm sorry, I just thought…" she trailed off and left them.

Artemis let out a deep breath and took a bite out of her grilled cheese sandwich. Simon stared at her, not quite sure what to say. Artemis noticed the dark brown eyes on her and looked at him, "What are you staring at?" she asked and took another bite.

"Nothing," he said, "it's just that I've never seen a girl worry about how many calories she eats or not drink a _diet_ coke."

"Well," she said as she put down the half finished sandwich down and leaned on back on her seat, "that's easy, I work out every day and actually, if you drink too much diet coke, you're drinking more calories than with regular coke."

Simon froze. Not knowing what to say. A girl that worked out _every day_? And drank _regular_ coke?

"Um, anyway," she said, "I wanted to ask you something."

He put his elbows on the table and stared at her with interest, "Shoot."

"I'm going to this wedding in a few weeks…" she hesitated but took a deep breath, "You wanna be my date?"

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><p><strong>Mwahaha! I'm so evil! Sorry for the late update but I'm on vacation for two weeks from Friday! So I'll write as much as possible! What do you think's gonna happen at the Ollie-Dinah wedding? I know, I didn't talk about it a lot but whatever :P PLEASE REVIEW! :))<strong>


	5. Tough On The Outside, Soft On The Inside

**Hey! My update is EARLY! One, because I was really in zone, two, because, even I can't wait to see what's going to happen. At first, I was planning to write the wedding write a way, but I don't know, I felt like this was the right chose. Anyway, hope you like! PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: Tough On The Outside, Soft On The Inside<span>

Artemis stood in front of the mirror. She was wearing her birthday dress with a black blazer. She twirled in front of the full body mirror. She didn't know why she did it; it just felt like she should do it. She knew it was girly and so unlike her but it felt right to do a 360° like a little five year old girl.

Ollie and Dinah booked rooms at a four star hotel in Star City, two rooms for the girls, two rooms for the boys and one room for the happy couple. M'gann, Zatanna, Artemis were sharing a room while Connor, Luke, Simon, Kaldur and Robin shared the room across them.

Zatanna entered the bathroom as Artemis was brushing her hair. The magician was in a white robe from the hotel and she was dripping wet. "Cute." Zatanna said as she noticed Artemis's outfit and smiled at her through the mirror.

Artemis smiled back, "Thanks," she said and left the bathroom, letting the magician dress up and put on her makeup.

She slumped onto the couch in front of the king sized bed. Behind her on the bed, M'gann was flipping through the channels of the flat screen TV. After a while, the Martian gave up looking for an interesting channel to watch and turned off the TV. "We should get ready; the party's starting in an hour." M'gann told Artemis but all the archer did was nod. M'gann's dress changed to a formal dress and she smiled. She's lucky, Artemis thought, she only needs a few seconds to change. M'gann's green skin turned beige and her hair still down but she took out her headband. She was wearing a loose red dress with spaghetti straps and stopped at her mid thigh as well as gold and bronze bangles on her right wrist and she wore black ballet flats with a black ribbon in front. "What do you think?" M'gann asked before she twirled.

Artemis smiled at how kiddy her friend could be, "I think that Connor would fall in love with you all over again." M'gann jumped up and down at the blonde's response. Her smiled reached her eyes and kept jumping for about five more minutes.

Zatanna walked into the bedroom, she was wearing a navy blue dress, spaghetti straps as well but this one was tight everywhere and almost reached her knees with a thick black belt that made her look even thinner. She had makeup on but it was light, slight blush and light beige eye shadow with eyeliner and mascara. "Just by any chance," Zatanna asked as she put a hand on her hip, "do you have any lip gloss?"

"Surprisingly," Artemis said, "I do." She went to her backpack and fished in its pocket and finally found what she was looking for and tossed it to Zatanna.

She caught it and went back into the bathroom but this time, she didn't bother closing the door. She looked in the mirror and applied a light coat on pink lip gloss. Artemis followed her and stared at the magician apply makeup. When she was done, she turned to her left and faced Artemis. "Do we really have to do your hair and makeup every single time?" Zatanna asked but she didn't seem annoyed at all. Although, before Artemis could answer, a chair was already brought in the large bathroom and Zatanna forced her to sit down. M'gann plugged the curling iron, undid the long and soft blonde hair and started curling it while Zatanna applied eyeliner on her and the

When they were done Artemis was wearing her birthday dress with the blazer and since she really only had four pair of shoes, her school shoes, boots, boots for missions and Zatanna's birthday present stilettos, she had to wear the latter. When she stood up in front of the full body mirror, she thought she'd never looked this girlie, and that included her birthday party. Both she and Zatanna, who was wearing black five inch heels walked around the room for fifteen minutes until Paula Crock and Dinah entered the room and told them it was time to go to the rooftop to have diner.

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><p>Wally looked at the sun go down slowly. He loved sunsets and sunrises. He just couldn't get enough of how beautiful and magical they looked like. He didn't believe in magic but it didn't mean that things couldn't look magical. He loved how there were so many different colors in the sky, blue, purple, orange, red and a sort of yellow and yet they stayed like that for such a short time. Beside him, his little brother was leaning on his, sleeping soundlessly and beside Mark was Cassie, playing with her DS and beside her was Vanessa, listening to music and taking pictures of just about anything, from the little kid sleeping beside Wally or at the sunset or even the trees seem to interest her. Vanessa was Wally's date. Yes, date. He was supposed to bring Louise along with him but she caught a fever at the last minute. And Cassandra was already watching a movie with Nathan and Vanessa <em>offered<em> to go with him. At first he was hesitant but he couldn't think of anyone better to come with him and face her again. _Artemis_. He would see _her_ again. The last time he saw her, she was wearing a beautiful green dress and her hair was down, for _once_ it was down and the nightlight looked amazing as it cast shadows on her face that made her look so… _mystical_. Yes, that was the word, mystical. She looked beautifully mystical. He remembered how his arms seemed to fit around her like a puzzle. It was only for a short moment. But he couldn't think of any better moment. During that very moment, he could feel her warmth, her heartbeat, her very being in his arms. He didn't want to let go. He had to constantly remind himself that he broke up with her because she kissed another guy. Sometimes, he wondered if it was worth it. He's known the answer ever since they separated but was always too stubborn to admit it. It wasn't.

Never was. Never will.

_But the past's in the past_, he thought, _if_ _only you could turn back time_. He stared at the sunset once again. He remembered all their picnics at the park and watch the sun go down. He remembered how he woke up Artemis just so they could watch the sun rise together. How he put his arms around her waist, how she leaned on him and he could smell her hair. Vanilla. It smelled like vanilla. It always has. He loved how sweet she smelled. It reminded him that she might be extremely hard on the outside, like a rock, no, like a pearl. Hard and beautiful. But that inside, she was a girl that had a bad history. Raised badly. But somehow, she was able to break free from the evil that brought her up. She did that on her own. And she was able to take refuge in their family. The Team. He suddenly remembered their constant bickering. He chuckled. Vanessa stared at his for a second then shrugged and turned back to her camera. He wondered if there was any way of getting her back.

Soon, they pulled up at parking space in front of The Richmond Hotel. Her mother turned around and faced the back seat, "We're here." She half whispered and shook Mark awake. All six of them walked to the lobby and stood in front of the reception desk. Cassie and Mark were playing with their rolling luggage while Vanessa was texting Louise to feel better. Wally just stared at the ceiling, mostly made of glass and shiny things and a giant chandelier made of crystal was hanging and made the room almost twice at bright. He turned to his parents who were booking a room for all of them.

"Wally?" he heard a familiar voice say. The redhead turned around and saw Robin, Connor, Kaldur and Luke, standing side by side. They walked towards him, "What on earth are you doing here?" Robin asked as he came to slap Wally's hand. And so did Connor and Kaldur. Luke stood there, not quite sure what to do.

"Hey," the blond boy said shyly.

"Hey."

"We're not together." Luke said out of nowhere, "I didn't have the heart to even bother. Just so you know."

Wally was taken aback. He was so sure that Luke and Artemis would be going out. After their kiss was the reason they broke up. Wally exhaled and forced a smile, "No hard feelings really."

"Glad to know it." Luke smiled his usual bright white smile.

Vanessa stared at their small reunion and coughed rather loudly. They all faced her.

"Oh right," Wally said as he walked towards of the young girl and put his arm around her waist, which was normal for them really but apparently not for the others. "Guys this is Vanessa Clark." He faced Vanessa, "V, this is Connor, Di―Robin," he caught himself at the last minute, "Kaldur and Luke. They're my friends."

Vanessa smiled, her hair was in a lose bun and some of her short hair was on her face and was wearing a white Von Dutch tank top that was slightly see through tucked in her mini shorts and black ballet flats. She smiled at the boys, they were all wearing trousers. Connor was wearing a long sleeved shirt and a black blazer and Robin and Luke were wearing the same thing but with tie while Kaldur was wearing simple long sleeved shirt. "Hey guys, happy to meet you." She said with a wave.

"We are all happy to meet you." Kaldur shook her hand and smiled.

Everyone else did the same and once Wally's parents finished booking the room and faced them. "Hey Wally, why don't you sleep in our room?" Robin asked to no one in particular.

Wally faced hi parents with a begging face, "Can I?" he asked them.

"Well, it would be a bit rude if you left Vanessa all alone." His mother told him.

"Oh right…"

"No, it's okay," Vanessa cut in, "He needs time with his old friends and I see him almost every day anyway. I really don't mind."

"Vanessa can sleep with the girls. Their room is right across ours." Robin said to Mr. and Mrs. West.

Wally gulped. The girls. That meant _Artemis_ was going to be sleeping in the same room as Vanessa. He felt the palms of his hands sweat. He was so nervous it took him several seconds to realize they were talking to him.

"Wally," Vanessa waved her hand over his face, "what do you think?"

"Uh," he gulped again, "I―I think it's a great idea. Why not?"

"I don't know," Robin muttered, "maybe 'cause your ex is sleeping there." Wally elbowed him and Robin made a soft chocking sound but nobody seemed to have heard it except Connor with his super hearing, who was chuckling.

After they dropped off Vanessa and Wally's luggage at the boys' room, they both dressed up. Wally was wearing black trousers and white long sleeved shirt with a black blazer. All the boys were waiting for Vanessa to finish dressing up.

A few moments later and the lock of the bathroom made a _"click"_ sound and all the boys stood up, all ready to go to the diner. Vanessa came out of the bathroom in a simple white tube dress with a tin blue belt on her upper waist. Her jet black hair was tied in a loose sideward braid and her light makeup made her look glowing. "What do you think?" she asked.

Luke coughed uncomfortably. Connor seemed uninterested while Robin was still staring at her and Kaldur was smiling as usual.

Wally walked towards her, "If it was possible, I think Kyle would fall in love with you even more." He said with a teasing smile and Vanessa slapped Wally's stomach with the back of her hand playfully but she was smiling. And blushing. "I'm not kidding, isn't it already obvious?"

Robin looked surprised for a second but his composure came back as soon as it left, "Wait," he said, "you guys aren't together?" he motioned to the both of them.

Vanessa and Wally laughed for a few minutes. "Her?" Wally asked as he took a breath, "Oh my God! Is that what you guys thought?" he stood up now, still chuckling slightly. "Dear God no. I admit she's hot, like _really_ hot but no." Vanessa blushed even more from the comment, "We're just friends." He put his arm around her shoulders, "Really good friends. That's it. And anyway, a friend of mine, Kyle likes her." Vanessa seemed to tense hearing that, "Scratch that, he's in _love_ with her. If you saw him, he looks like a lost puppy every time she left the room" the redhead chuckled a bit more. "So no, I just brought her as a friend."

Kaldur was the first to speak up, "Well, that is good to know. Now, we must go to dinner."

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><p>They wall went to dinner and sat down at a round table of ten. The room was huge, filled with other round tables and hanging from the ceilings were grand chandeliers that brightened the room a million times, and at the end of the room were two large French doors and behind it lay a enormous balcony.<p>

They were all laughing when they heard Megan and Zatanna coming in. They all turned around to look at them. The Martian and the magician were walking side by side towards their table. When they saw the familiar face of the redhead, they ran towards him. He stood up with his arms wide open. They both collided with him; both Connor and Robin glared but nothing else. "I can't believe you're really here." Megan said against his shoulder.

"Glade to see me, babe?" he joked and the Martian slapped him lightly.

Zatanna just seemed to stare at him, not quite believing he was there. "What on earth are you doing here?" she asked.

He smiled, "I'm the ring bearer!" he announced.

"Oh," Zatanna said as if she'd just realized something, "so that's why Robin wasn't the ring bearer. They forced you to come." She faced Megan and the green faced looked horrified all of a sudden. Zatanna realized what she Martian did and her faced seemed to melt away.

Wally saw their faces and started to worry, "What's wrong?"

Zatanna straightened up and smiled, "Nothing." She answered but her voice seemed to break.

At first, Wally didn't believe her but left it, "Guys, this is Vanessa." The girl in white stood up smiling, and waved like she did to the boys. "V, these are Megan and Zatanna."

"Nice to meet you." She said, "I've been feeling lonely since I was the only girl."

Zatanna smiled, like if she already liked Vanessa, "Don't worry about that anymore. We're here." And Zatanna sat in between Vanessa and Robin while Megan sat beside Connor.

The magician stared at Vanessa and Wally talking, "So," she said, "how long have you guys been together?" Wally choked on his water and Vanessa laughed against her palm, partly because of what Zatanna assumed and partly because of Wally's choking.

Once Wally stopped choking, he looked at Zatanna in amazement, "God, what is wrong with you people?" he asked to nobody really, "V and I are _not_ together. We're just really good friends. That's all!" he said, "Sheesh. Think you know everything," he stuck out his tongue. "And what about _you_ and _Robin_?" he glared at them, "How's it going between you guys?" Vanessa immediately seemed interested while Megan and Connor were staring at each other.

Robin's face was red and furious but Zatanna flushed and ignored Wally, playing with her plate of peas. "We are _not_ together." Robin said.

"Well it sure looks like _you_ like her." Vanessa cut in with a giggle.

But before anyone could say anything else, Artemis entered the grand room. She was wearing her green dress that became brighter once she entered, her blazer gave her a slight edge, her stilettos made a _"click, click, clack"_ noise every time she took a step further and her makeup and her curled blonde hair rested on her shoulders, made her look softer. She was smiling but her grey eyes stood out of all of her features, making her look striking. Her hair was down, so unusual but made her look so… herself. Wally felt his heartbeat. It was racing. From how nervous he was but also from seeing her. The last time he saw her, it was night time and mysterious. Now, the light made her look like an angel. Sure she was wearing green and black but Wally didn't seem to care if she was wearing aqua or fluo pink. To him, she didn't look tough like how she normally is, she wasn't a Shadow, she wasn't the daughter of a super villain, and she wasn't the girl that made him feel amazing inside or broke his heart. She was Artemis. Herself. Tough on the outside because that was how she was raised. Tough on the outside because she was terrified of letting people see that part of her. Tough on the outside because she was soft on the inside.

But Wally's felt his heart stop; he felt a million tons drop on him. He stared at her. Then at the boy with fair skin, dark hair and dark brown eyes beside her that held her by the waist.

The boy was Simon.

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><p><strong>So? What do you think? What do you think's going to happen next chapter? HEHEHE I'm so evil for making you guys wait. Anyway, little shout out to my friend Julia and Paul! hehe so happy for you guys! Anyway, thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	6. Forever And Always

**Hey! OMG! I never wrote this fast! EVER! hehe finally spitfire! HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!AND OMG! WHO ELSE WATCHED THIS WEEK'S EPISODE? Insecurity, episode 23! I thought I was gonna die just watching them! SPOILER I love how Wally tells her how she didn't need to prove herself to him . PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 6: Forever And Always<span>

"You look stunning." Simon whispered into her ear and she couldn't help but giggle. She almost never giggled. The only people who could do that were Wally and sometimes Dick when he was being an idiot. Other than that, she never giggled. It was already hard enough to make her do that, much less laugh.

She looked up at him, she was up to his nose, "Thanks, you don't look to shabby yourself." She replied. She faced in front of her where she saw Zatanna and Megan entered.

Then she saw him. His red hair, messed up and cute. His green eyes shined like stars in the night. She froze. She completely froze. It was like she forgot how to breathe. It was like her brain stopped telling her heart to beat. It was hard not to miss him. He was right in front of her. He was staring at her. Then their eyes locked. Grey and green. She gulped hard. She broke eye contact and turned her gaze slightly right, where a girl she'd never seen before was sitting. She had olive skin, jet black hair and grey eyes. She looked beautiful. So beautiful that Artemis could help but feel a ting of jealousy.

"Artemis," she heard Simon said beside her as he removed his hand from her waist, "are you alright?"

It took her a while to answer but eventually she told herself that she couldn't just stand there, "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked down at her stilettos.

The only problem with Simon was that he could read most people's expressions "No, you're not. What's wrong?" he put his finger under her chin and lifted it up to make her look at him. "Tell me."

She hesitated for a moment, but only a moment, "Just a migraine. Nothing serious." She lied. This was serious.

"Well," he said softly, "you wanna go back to the room? It's okay; I'll tell your uncle that you're not feeling well or something."

She looked away from him, "No, I'm okay. Let's just sit down already." He nodded and placed hi hand around her waist once again.

They slowly walked towards their friends' table. Artemis could feel her legs weaken with ever step she took towards him. She was afraid that she was going to trip so she was grateful for Simon's arm balancing her a little. When they finally arrived to the table, Luke greeted her, "You okay?" he said as they hugged gently. She nodded lightly. As she sat down, she felt those green eyes burning onto her skin. Straightened herself awkwardly between Luke and Simon.

There was an awkward silence at their table for about five minutes until the girl in the white dress and black hair coughed loudly. Wally looked at her in confusion and then his eyebrows lifted up. "Oh, uh right." He mumbled so softly that Artemis could barely hear him. She shivered. She missed it when he would whisper something to her, how safe she felt then. She longed for it every day.

Wally was about to say something but Robin cut him off, "Vanessa," the Boy Wonder said under his shades. He looked weird with sun glasses indoors and at night, "this is Artemis," he gestured to her, the archer tried to smile but failed. It was too hard to even try, "and this is her, uh, date, Simon." He said uncomfortably. Then he faced Artemis, "Arty, this is Vanessa." Then he faced Simon, "Simon, this is Wally. An old friend of ours."

Simon stood up to shake hands with Vanessa and Wally, Vanessa stood up and shook his hands lightly while Wally took a few moments to process everything and then just smiled faintly at the dark haired boy. The night had just begun and it was already a disaster. _This_, both Artemis and Wally thought, _is going to be a nightmare_.

The night went on ever so slowly. They ate and talked a little but it was _way_ too awkward. She had had it. "Excuse me; I'm going to use the restroom."

She stood up and headed towards the bathroom. She then looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like she just woke up from a bad dream. No, it was a thousand times worse. She wanted to wash her face and cool down. But she couldn't, it would ruin her makeup. She cursed. Normally, she would give a damn if she would wash off her makeup. She never even wore makeup. She just did it for Megan and Zatanna and also a bit for Oliver and Dinah. She clutched onto the counter and felt a tear run down her cheek. She lifted her head and looked at herself at the mirror once more. The tear was black thanks to her mascara. She cursed again. She ripped of some tissue paper and lightly dabbed her cheek. This was _not_ the night she expected. She thought that the worse that would happen this weekend was that she was going to be a _flower girl_. She was wrong. The flower girl made it like an exercise she didn't do as homework right now. She couldn't go back to the table. She could face Wally again so soon. She remembered his arms around her on her birthday. How they seemed to fit so perfectly. Now seeing him laugh with that girl, Vanessa, it was like she was reliving the torture of The Shadows half a year ago. Except that this time, she had no one. She didn't have Wally to help her. To keep her from breaking. She needed him, but apparently, he didn't need her.

She sighed deeply. She threw the tissue paper in the trash and walked into the large room again, but instead of heading for the table, she headed for the large French doors that were now open and entered the balcony. On the way there, she saw a glimpse of Wally. He was looking at her with a worried face. She took a few more steps into the night air. She left the breeze of the wind against her chest, her legs and her face. That cooled her down. She closed her eyes and remembered her and Wally's picnics at the park after school. She remembered how it messed up his hair even more. She walked towards the edge of the balcony. She looked down, the city shined around her. A year ago, she would never have thought that she'd ever spend a weekend at a four star hotel. Over a year ago, she didn't think she could lose something so precious. _Someone_ so precious. She looked down at the street. A few cars passed in front of the hotel and she thought for just a moment if she would jump. If she did, all of her problems would be solved. Would be gone. The pain would stop.

But that also meant she could never feel that happiness again. That thing that made her tingle. That feeling that was so indescribable. _And anyway_, she thought, _I'm not suicidal_. She looked at Wally's face when he and Vanessa shared a joke. Did he really forget about me? Was able to forget me? To get over us? She was never really able to. Wally balanced her, made her feel like herself. Like she wasn't a monster that was trapped to follow in her father's footsteps.

She was born a monster. Could anything really stop that? Could anyone really change her? Make her who she was supposed to be rather than controlled by how she grew up. Could someone help her? Could someone really change her fate? She thought that maybe that Wally was the person that could change her. Was she wrong?

Before she could answer her own question, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and found green eyes staring at her. At first he looked shocked, and then his faced softened. "Sorry," he said, barely audible, "I didn't know you were here." He was about to turn around but she caught him by the arm. How she got to the other side of the balcony, he didn't have a clue, and so did she.

"Wait," she said but it sounded like she was begging him, "please." He shrugged lightly.

"What do you want?" he sounded angrier than he intended.

She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out, instead it was Wally who talked, "What's up with you and Simon?" As he said that, his eyes looked at her lips instead of her eyes.

She was surprised that he actually asked that, at first, she said nothing but then answered, "He's my date." He took a step closer to her. He seemed to forget all about Luke and Artemis. Even as he thought about it, he didn't feel hurt anymore. He didn't feel betrayed. All he cared about was that she was there, so close to him. He had healed. _She_ had healed him. All he really needed was _her_. Not to get _away_ from her, but to be _beside_ her.

He was still looking at her lips, "Just your date?" he asked softly, and his small breaths tickling her face and neck. She nodded a little.

"More of an escort. When I asked him to be my date, he said no. I had to beg him to come with me. Anyway, he's into Margot." Margot was a girl in their class, "And what about you and Vanessa?" she asked, only now did she realize how close they were, just five inches. Just like how close they were in the cab in Paris to get to their hotel. It took her everything to not kiss him right there, right then.

He grinned; she never thought she would see him smiled ever again, "Why? You jealous?" he smiled grew bigger.

Instead of answering she just asked him another question, "Are you?" she asked, "I mean of Simon." They grew closer.

She could barely hear her answer but she did, she did and couldn't stop herself. "Yes." He whispered. And their lips met. He felt her soft lips against his, how sweet they tasted while his were warm. His hand slowly moved upward and reached her cheek, it felt warm on her skin, and his other hand took her by the waist, pushing her closer to him. Her arms went around his neck and she pulled for him, like if her life depended on it. Her fingers found his soft and red hair and she pulled them, he didn't seem to mind. They were determined to leave no space between them. And in fact, there wasn't. To them, it was like a drug. You could never get enough of the other person.

After a few minutes, he pushed her away, "I―I'm sorry." He said, "I shouldn't have done that." He looked at her grey eyes, "I broke up with you, I shouldn't have kissed you." He said quickly and Artemis couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry, what I usually think doesn't come out right." She knew that. Of course she knew that. "Stop smiling!" he cried out with a laugh.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it." She said.

"Anyway, I shouldn't have kissed you. I don't even know why I did that, I mean we're not even together. I really shouldn't have done tha―" She pulled him towards him. She kissed him ever so softly. She still couldn't believe she was kissing him. How long has it been since they were like this? Like they belonged? She couldn't remember, she felt like she actually forgot to think. His arms went back to where they were one on her cheek, the other around her waist; he pulled her closer, even closer than a few minutes ago. She didn't even think that was possible. Her hand tugged on his hair and hi hand that was on her cheek moved to the back of her head, messing up her perfect curly hair that was down for once. She never thought she'd felt lips that soft and warm before.

After what only felt like seconds they separated, their lips swollen and pink, his finger played with hair and then put his behind her ear, "I still love you." He whispered.

Again, she was surprised, "You're not mad at me anymore?" she asked.

"I was never mad at you." He said gently, "Well, maybe I was but I'm not anymore. I realize how much I need you. How much I can't live without you. I know, corny. But I just can't form any sentence right when I'm talking about you. You're so indescribable." His lips were so close to hers, she trembled.

"Please don't tell me I'm dreaming." She sounded like if she was begging someone for food.

"You're not." He answered. "When I saw you enter that room, I knew I was still in love you." He said, "I always will. Please, I need you."

It felt like a mirage, so unreal, "I love you." She whispered. "Forever."

He smiled, "What do people say? Forever and always?" he said.

She chuckled, and punched him lightly on the shoulder, "You are so corny. And you're right, nothing comes out of your mouth correctly."

Instead of replying, he kissed her softly. _Forever and always._

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><p><strong>SO? hehe I'm not that nice but this chapter isn't an April Fool's Day joke. Did you guys like it? What do you think's going to happen to Spitfire? Anyway, I don't know why I'm telling you this but on April 9, I'm turning 14! How awesome is that? I know, kind of old to be watching cartoon but watevs! I would really appreciated it if you guys greeted me on by bday :) Just a suggestion. And shout out to my friends Devon and Tanitha, Happy Birthday to them! PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	7. Lose Someone You Love

**Hey! Early update AGAIN! I think this might as well be one of the longest chapters I've ever written! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! they meant so much to me! I hope you think that this chapter's pretty good cause I pretty much rushed on it. Anyway, little shout out to Keepmovingforward2, happy belated birthday! :D PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 7: Lose Someone You Love<span>

Artemis woke with a smile on her face. She was on the couch of the hotel room while Zatanna, Megan and Vanessa slept on the bed behind the couch. She sat up and saw the Martian and Vanessa were still asleep. Artemis was wearing mini shorts and a large and thick black shirt and she put on her slippers. She put on her jacket and took a key card from the coffee table. She entered the hallway and pushed on the _up_ button of the elevator to get to the restaurant, as she waited, the door across her room opened revealing a shirtless redheaded boy. When he realized Artemis was in the hallway, his cheeks flushed a bright red and put on a shirt he was holding. The elevator made 'ding!' sound and the elevator doors opened. They both entered the cramped place and they tried not to look at each other for the first few seconds but then she felt Wally's arm slip around her waist and he pulled her towards him. Her hands were suddenly on his strong chest and his hands were on her hips. "Hey beautiful." He mumbled. "How did you sleep?"

She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips, "Like a baby." She answered. She never thought she could be so happy again. Not by a long shot. It was hard to believe that she was with him in an elevator of a four star hotel on Dinah and Ollie's wedding day. "What about you?" she asked.

His smile faded, replaced with a frown. She felt him tremble. She immediately put her hands on his cheeks, "Wally," she said softly, "what's wrong?"

He broke eye contact and looked at the mirror, "Nothing. I slept fine." The doors opened and he walked out, heading towards the restaurant. She was right on his heels and they entered the room, the smell of bacon, fresh bread, fruits and all sorts of food filled the air. There was an open buffet; Wally took bacon and eggs with orange juice while Artemis took some slices of pineapples and some strawberries with water. They saw Robin and Zatanna sitting at a table, Robin, still with his shades, waved at them, gesturing for them to sit at their table. They sat down across each other and realized Zatanna and Robin staring at them. Artemis lifted her head with a questioning look, "What are you guys looking at?" she asked them.

Both of them smiled, "No awkwardness, you guys made out last night didn't you?" Zatanna asked. Wally and Artemis blushed but didn't answer. "Just look at them!" Zatanna cried out, "So," she said awkwardly, "are you guys, uh, together again?"

They both froze, last night, all they talked about on the balcony was what they missed of each other's lives and made out, they didn't talk about getting back together. But they both said _'I love you'_ last night, didn't that mean anything? Before Artemis could even think of anything else Wally spoke up, "I hope so." He whispered and smiled at her from across the table.

Beside her, she heard Zatanna squeal. "Well," she couldn't help but smile at his comment; she could smile without having to feel empty anymore, "you can stop hoping." The edges of her mouth reached her eyes. She saw him smile too. She finally felt like everything was in place, like everything was where it was supposed to be.

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><p>Artemis was in front of the mirror again. She couldn't believe that the last time she looked at herself in the mirror, she was single. Now, she was with Wally. Again. But she finally felt complete. Like she wasn't so depressed.<p>

She was wearing a beige strapless dress that was tight until her waist and the skirt was fluffy with many layers of fabric and over all that was silk skirt that ended at her mid thigh and was wearing her black stilettos. Her hair was curled and let down, again. Her makeup was light and beige as well. Zatanna and Megan were wearing the same thing while Vanessa was wearing a soft pink sleeveless dress with white and brown ballet flats. All of the girls' hair were curled and also let down. The other side of the room, Dinah was putting on her wedding dress and Artemis's mother was wearing a beige one shoulder gown and her hair was in a curled ponytail.

Dinah was wearing a one shoulder white flowy wedding dress. It was simple. There was a soft blue fabric around her waist and made a ribbon on her back. Her hair was down and curled, Wonder Woman, who was wearing a gown version of the flower girls' dress, put a small tiara with a veil on Dinah's head. She looked stunning. Absolutely gorgeous.

At that very moment, Hawkgirl came in the room in the same dress as Diana, "Are you ready?" she asked.

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><p>Wally, Batman, Suprberman and Ollie were standing behind the crows of guests sitting down on the benches. They were waiting for the ceremony to start and the adults were talking, then, all of a sudden, the speedster saw Ollie froze. He looked at where he was staring. What he saw was what he thought he'd never see in a million years. Roy was walking towards them wearing a silver tuxedo. They all stared at him like if they were staring at a dream. When Roy arrived in front of them, he smiled lightly. It's been so long since Wally's seen Roy smile.<p>

"Am I late?" the redheaded archer asked Ollie. But instead of answering, the groom hugged his old protégé and Wally saw his eyes get slightly teary.

"Not a minute too late." Oliver answered when they separated.

After a few minutes, the ceremony started and Wally was about to walk down the aisle, holding onto the rings. They were in the hotel's garden, wooden benches were placed at each side of the aisle and at the end was an altar. There were white fabrics hanging from the cherry tree branches, making the place look… peaceful.

It was his turn; he looked from side to side, looking for Artemis. He'd wanted to talk to her before the wedding but not quite sure of what. Too late now, he thought. He walked slowly down the aisle, still holding onto the rings. He was wearing black trousers, a white long sleeved shirt and a sliver blazer with black shoes. He arrived at sat down on the nearest bench. He stared at the groom, who stood beside Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, who was wearing shades to hide his identity. Was that really necessary? Wally didn't know. Then he saw the flower girls walk slowly towards the altar.

First Megan, then Zatanna and then Artemis. She was holding a white basket full of red, white and pink rose petals like the two other girls, she threw some on the floor lightly. Some pink flowers and a few leaves fell from the trees nearby and slowly rained on her. Her skin seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight. The wind blew her hair lightly and made her look like an angel, her beige strapless dress seemed to fit her perfectly and her makeup made her look…softer. She wasn't hard. She wasn't trying to be the Artemis that was raised, that was trained to be though, never to cry, she looked like what she should be. What she was on the inside. It made her look like how Wally saw her. He felt his heart beat at a speed he never thought seemed possible. His mind was blank except for her. All what was there was her. That was it. He could only see her. He could only feel her. She looked up, and smiled at him. _She smiled_, he thought, _in public_! She only allowed herself to smile with a few friends but for her to smile when dozens of people were looking at her, near impossible. He smiled back. He never thought he could feel that _thing_ so much. Was it possible to die of an over speeding heartbeat? He didn't know. At least he didn't remember. She made it to the altar and stood beside Zatanna.

Then, there was the music and Dinah came out in her white gown that shined in the sunlight. Her hair and veil flew a bit and making the moment more dramatic. He wondered how Green Arrow was feeling. Was he feeling the same thing that he did when Artemis walked towards him so… angel like. He never thought he'd seen his trainer this girlie before. She was always bad-ass, so was Artemis but the difference between them was that Dinah wasn't afraid of showing her emotions. Artemis was raised to never show them. The first time she'd ever crack was on The Eiffel Tower. With him. He remembered their first kiss, how he seemed to understand her. He remembered how she cried onto his shoulder, like if she was trying to fill up a well. After that, he'd only seen her get teary and cry just once or twice. He wondered if she cried when he left her. Does that still matter, he thought, we're back together anyway.

He still couldn't believe it. They were back together. He didn't even feel like all that drama with Luke and her kiss ever happened. Even though it did, now, it only felt like a pinch on the arm. It was crazy what love could do to a person. Make you break down like the world was going to end. Make you happy and smile like never before. He felt all of that. She changed him. From a flirt to a guy who was able to care for someone the way he never thought her could. What he didn't really know was that he changed her too. Before him, she might as well be as though as a diamond. And somehow, he was strong enough to break the shell and let herself come out, even just a little.

He remembered their rocky relationship, from frenemies to friends then to boyfriend, then ex-boyfriend and now boyfriend, again. He hoped that this one wouldn't change.

He heard the couple say their vows and couldn't help but feel awe. Then he heard the 'I dos' and smiled at them. He passed them the rings and couldn't help but feel proud to do his part as the ring bearer. He looked at the crowd that was staring at the couple in awe. He saw Vanessa sit beside his mom, dad and siblings. Then he looked closely to his mom, on her lap was a small toddler. Wally realized it was Adam. He wondered what his mom was doing with him. He pushed that thought away to of later, the he shifted his gaze to Artemis, and she was staring at the couple, then at him. She smiled again. She must be really happy to be smiling so much. She was. He could finally say or think 'I love you, Artemis' without feeling hurt or betrayed. He couldn't be any more thankful. He wished it would last.

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><p>All the teenagers ate dinner at the same table while the adults talked with themselves. Wally even saw Captain Marvel as a kid, Billy talk with his sister. Cassie had just turned seven a few weeks ago so she was just about a year younger than him. He couldn't believe Billy was hitting on his sister. The nerve.<p>

He heard Dinah' voice on the microphone and saw the newly married couple on the small stage, Dinah wasn't wearing her veil anymore but was still wearing her wedding dress while Ollie was wearing his tux and he was holding Adam in his arm, the toddler's arms were around his neck and his legs around Ollie's waist. Apparently, the couple were about to announce something.

Dinah coughed a little then looked at the crowd, "Uh, hi everyone." She said nervously, "First of all, Ollie and I wanted to thank you for coming and for all your support." She then looked at Oliver with a bright smile, "And we just couldn't wait to tell you that we've decided to adopt Adam." She then took Adam from Oliver and made him wave his hand. "Say hi, Adam."

The two and three month old boy smiled at the people bellow him "Hi." He said adorably. Everyone cheered for the soon to be family of three. Wally let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. He was happy that Adam finally had someone to take care of him. He's been living in the cave for so long and without real parents. It was going to be good for him to have adults raise him instead of a bunch on teens.

After a few minutes, Dinah and Oliver went to the dance floor and danced to a slow song. Everyone's eyes were on them. After a few moments, slowly, more couple went onto the dance floor.

"Ooh! Connor," Megan said, "we should dance!" she stood up and pulled Superboy onto the dance floor, she placed his hands on her waist and hers on his shoulders.

Wally saw Robin staring at Zatanna behind his shades and elbowed him. "Ouch!" Robin cried out as he put a hand on his stomach, "What on earth was that for?"

Wally ignored him, "Hey, Robin, why don't you and Zatanna go dancing. I mean, I know she loves dancing." Wally teased and he saw the magician flush.

Robin hesitated for a while then stood up and was beside Zatanna, hand held out in front of her, "You wanna dance?" he asked with a small grin. Zatanna held his hand and followed him to the dance floor.

All of a sudden, a head was on his shoulder. The smell of vanilla filled his nostrils. How he missed that smell. Vanessa stared at him with a questioning look, and Simon did the same. "Oh, right." He said slowly, "Vanessa, well, you remember when we first met and I told you that I had just broken up with my girlfriend?" the black haired girl nodded, "I never told you her name was Artemis." He smiled at the blonde head on his shoulder. Vanessa and Simon looked at him and then to Artemis, not quite sure what to say. "And, uh, last night, we sort of made up." He kissed her hair lightly. Kaldur and Luke stared at them, they didn't know they were back together until now. The only ones who knew were Robin and Zatanna.

Then Vanessa smiled, "So that's why it was so awkward at the dinner! At first, I just thought you guys were always like that. Now I know why. I should have known!" she cried out.

"Well you know now." He replied.

All six of them just stayed at the table, not doing anything for about fifteen minutes. Then Luke decided to eat more dessert while Vanessa just stared into nothingness. Wally knew what she was thinking about. "I bet you wish Kyle was hear." The speedster said to his friend.

"What?" Vanessa yelled loudly but not loud enough for anyone to notice. "Why would I want Kyle here?"

"Please," he said, "I'm not blind you know! I see the way you guys look at each other."

At first, Vanessa didn't say anything, she just stared at him, as if the news were new to her. They were. She had no idea Kyle was into her, she just thought that he was the playboy and would never get into a real relationship, "How do you know?" she asked, barely audible.

He smiled at her and then at Artemis, her eyes were closed but she wasn't asleep. "Because that's the way I look at Artemis." The grey eyes immediately flew open. The look of surprise was written all over her face. "Don't look so surprised, Arty." She slowly sat upright and their faces were just inches from each other. They didn't even notice the other people around the table. It was just them. Their eyes met. Green and grey. It sent shivers down Artemis's spine. The others were staring at them like it was a movie, even Luke, who had eventually fallen for Alice.

There was a clanging noise and they looked to the side, a waiter had accidentally made his tray fall, thankfully it was empty. The couple stared into each other's eyes again. Wally slowly stood up and held out his hand in front of her. "I know you're not a dancer but," he said, "will you give the pleasure of having this dance with you?" She hesitated and glanced at Vanessa for a moment who was gesturing for her to accept the offer. Artemis looked at the redhead and looked into his eyes full of hope and happiness. She took his hand and gave him a grin.

They headed to the dance floor and at that very moment, the song changed into a slow song, slower than before. They both felt blood rush to their cheeks. Wally bit his lower lip and ever so slowly put his hands around Artemis's waist. She didn't protest so he took that as a good sign. Then just as slowly, she put her hand around his neck. Their heads were so close together. Softly, Artemis laid her head onto Wally's shoulder. They were the same height and she was wearing stilettos. She cursed in her mind.

Wally could smell her hair, her hair that was let down and loose, that ended at her hip. The sweet smell of vanilla made everything seem softer. Lighter. After a few moments, Artemis lift her head up and it was even closer to his than before. Their lips grew closer and closer. Their lips brushed. And against her lips, he said the same words he did before their first kiss, "Do you want me to stop?" he asked softly.

She smiled at the very thought of it. "Never." And just like that, they were kissing. The taste of pasta and tomatoes sauced filled their tongues. His lips were so soft she didn't want to stop. The sweetness of his lips gave her shivers. It was just the night before that they last kissed, yet it felt like ages. The hands on her waist pulled her closer to him and she did the same around his neck. He still couldn't believe they were together again. He felt like he went thought hell without her. They separated to breath. Everyone was staring at them wide eyed. They'd completely forgotten they were surrounded with people. Including Wally's parents and Paula. But it felt so right. The way it felt the first time they kissed. It felt so right. She remembered their first words after their kiss on the Eiffel Tower, "Wow" they had both said at the same time. Around them, everyone was cheering for them. But she forgot them, she didn't care if they were cheering or didn't even notice them. She just wanted to be with Wally. She gave his a soft sweet peck on the lips and smiled at him.

He had changed her so much in so many different ways he had no idea of.

Wally was in his boxers in his room, shirtless. He lay down on the extra bed they ordered and sighed. He was the only one of the boys in the room awake. But he couldn't sleep. Not for a second. He couldn't bear the thought of leaving Artemis tomorrow. But he had to. Earlier that night, he asked his uncle and Bruce if he could come back to the Team. They had accepted and he felt his joy meter burst. He was coming back to the Team! He told everyone except Simon and Vanessa of course and found out Luke was also on the Team. He was slightly disappointed, they had replaced him but Artemis told him that Luke's skill were martial arts and gymnastics, not super speed. He was relieved when she said that.

Roy was sleeping on the couch, snoring lightly. He wondered what he would say since everyone saw he and Artemis kiss. Honestly, he didn't care. He didn't care if the whole world was against it. He wouldn't stop loving. Nothing could stop that.

Wally stared at the dark ceiling, the lights were turned off. He saw the image of Artemis in her flower girl dress. How angel like she looked. How she smiled at him in front of everyone. How that smile gave him that weird and queasy feeling. Without even noticing it, he smiled in the dark. He couldn't stop thinking about her, even more now that she was just in the next room. He felt his heart racing every time he even _thought_ about her. He remembered all their good moments together, their picnics in the park, on the roof of the Karlson mansion, that day on the plane to France where he realized he loved her, how they survived in the cold forest when they were both beat up, those moments they had on the top of the cave, their very first kiss on the Eiffel Tower, last night and just a few hours ago. Slowly, Wally closed his eyes.

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><p>Wally was running as fast as he could to Gotham Park. He was wearing his gear and felt the wind against his body. He never thought he could run this fast. He guessed that when the time came, he could do incredible things. He ran and ran and stopped when he saw the familiar shadow of the blond archer but that was still at the bottom of the hill, he was on top and stared at her. In front of Artemis was Sportsmaster holding some sort of stick, a crowbar maybe, something like that.<p>

He hit Artemis in the stomach, he flinched as he saw her in pain, then the villain hit her again on the back, when she looked up at him, he could actually see her grey eyes shining. Sportsmaster didn't seem to notice and hit her on the head this time. She was knocked out and lay on the grass. Her father took out a sword. Really? A sword? He slashed at her arms and legs, on her back. She cried with every cut. When he was done cutting her, he took her untied messy hair and pulled it up; half of her body was being lifted from the floor. Her face was bruised and bleeding. Wally could see the pain in her eyes. He could _feel_ the pain. It was torture. Yet he wasn't the one being beat up by his father.

"Look at him," Wally heard Sportsmaster say to Artemis from meters away. "Look how helpless he looks. He thought he could save you from your destiny. From your family." He hissed, "He only made it worse. He's only preventing you from coming back to us. He's just making you feel attached to him, and then when the time comes for you to pull away, it will be hard for both on both of you." He told his daughter, "He's just making it worse. Stop what you're doing and your betrayal will be painless."

Artemis gulped, "Never," she could barely say, "I'd rather die." She said as blood poured from her mouth.

Sportsmaster grinned, "Suit yourself darling." He lifted her up even more with her hair, making her stay on her knees.

Sportsmaster raised his sword. Wally yelled with all of his voice. He didn't even know he could scream that loud. He yelled with all he had, all of his emotions and fears were in that scream. He ran towards her, he ran and ran but however fast he ran, he felt lower than a snail. In horror, he saw Sportsmaster's sword go through Artemis. She yelled in pain, but she didn't just yelled. She screamed his name. "WALLY!" she screamed, she begged. He ran even faster he thought he was going to pass her. When her arrived beside her, Sportsmaster was gone.

Artemis's body was on the grass, bloody and pale and… helpless. He'd never seen her helpless before. He kneeled down beside her, he pulled her towards him. He held her gently, like if she was made of a thin layer of glass that could break at any moment. "Wally." Artemis mumbled weakly. "Do―don't leave me." She begged. Her weak arms went around his shoulders and he pulled her closer to him. "Never." He said against her shoulder. He could feel her warm blood all over her body. He felt tears fall from his eyes at an amazing rate. He cried onto her shoulder. "Stay with me." She whispered, he almost didn't hear her and yet she was so close to him, "Always." He answered with sobs. He slowly pulled away from her, looking at her pale face. Her eyes were barely open. He saw the life draining away from her grey eyes. "I love you." She said ever so faintly. "I love you so much." He replied. And with those last words, Artemis's body went limp. Wally felt rivers on his cheeks. "ARTEMIS!" he yelled as loud as possible but this time, it was desperation to get to her in time. This time, it was depression and anger. "ARTEMIS!" he yelled even louder. And he put his head on her limp shoulder "I love you so much." He repeated against her soulless body. He remembered how he looked at her. How they had kissed. How she could make him feel so amazing and crazy. But it was useless begging for her to stay. Useless to ask her to come back to him, where she belonged. She was dead. She was gone. So this is how it felt to lose the one you love. He had lost her.

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><p><strong>HEHE do you hate me? or do you hate me? If this really happened on the show, I would stop watching. Like really stop watching but really it SORT OF happened in episode 16, Failsafe. Thankfully that didn't really happen. I love you guys so much. Love YJ! Anyway thanks again for all the reviews! So, PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	8. Lean On Me

**Wow, another early update. Even earlier than yesterday. I woke up at 8:30 and then ate and then just started writing like a maniac. If course it's shorted than last time but I think the ending is perfect like that. Anyway hope you like and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 8: Lean On Me<span>

"**ARTEMIS**!" Wally sat upright. He was panting. He was sweaty, so sweaty that his hair was wet. He could feel his heartbeat was racing. The sun was shining through the window; he was the only one in the room left. Everyone must have already gone to breakfast. On the floor beside his bed, was his pillow and blanket were scattered all over the floor. He got up and went to the bathroom. He looked himself in the mirror for a while and sighed deeply. He turned on the faucet and wet his face. It was refreshing but it made Wally feel like he was drowning. He dried his face, and then put on a fresh shirt and shorts. He went into the hallway and went up the elevator towards the restaurant. Everyone was already sitting at a round table in the middle; they were all laughing at something. But before he sat down with them, he checked his hands. They were shaking. He took a few deep breaths and walked towards his friends.

"Hey Wally!" Megan cried out. Artemis turned around and faced Wally on her chair, she smiled at him. Images of his dream came crashing back. He felt his hands shake even more than before. His heart was racing. He could see that he was worrying her. He smiled back at her. He could see her sigh in relief. He took that as a good sign and sat down beside her. Everyone was eating around him, from pancakes, to eggs, to bacon. All he ate were two slices of toast. For once in so many months, he didn't feel like eating. He still couldn't get the horrifying images of Artemis's motionless body. He was so terrified that he didn't say anything during breakfast and he knew that Robin and Roy would be questioning him later.

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><p>After breakfast, everyone went packing. Wally went as fast as he could, which was pretty fast and was done within three minutes. All the boys stared at him, Roy shrugged and the others just went back to their packing. Soon after, Wally snuck out of the room and went onto the roof. He always went on the roof when he needed space. He remembered when he used to go on the top of the cave, when he saw Alex and Artemis kiss, he went directly to the rood of the Karlson mansion. The fresh air always seemed to help him. It made him calm down, think straightly. The rooftop was empty, he wasn't even sure if he was allowed in there. He put a brick between the door and the frame so he would be locked in and walked towards the edge. He sat down, feet dangling over the side.<p>

The dream, no, the _nightmare_ wouldn't stop haunting him. The night before, he had had a similar dream, Artemis had died in his arms, saying the same words to him but she died differently. The first time, she died taking a bullet but he didn't see the murder's face. When he woke up that morning, he thought it was going to be a one night thing. He was just overreacting. When she had asked him how he slept, he went rigid; images of blood filled his mind. He thought he was going crazy. But when he finally calmed down, Zatanna and Robin had asked him if he and Artemis were back together. He forced the images away and said, "I hope so." He didn't think he could be any cornier. But that's how he was when she was around. He became corny and nervous and happy and it made him get this weird feeling inside. Not a bad feeling. A feeling that was so addicting it was like a drug that you just couldn't stop taking.

Wally was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the door open and before he knew it, the blonde archer sat down beside. She didn't say anything, and so did he. They just sat there, staring at the city. Then after a while, Artemis laid her head on his shoulder. He didn't protest. It was nice having her so close to him, to know that she was still there with him. When he saw her at the restaurant that morning, he wanted to hug her so bad, just knowing it wasn't real, just knowing she was still there with him made him feel so much better. He could smell the vanilla scent of her hair. It calmed him down even more.

They just stayed there for what felt like hours but was really only fifteen minutes. Artemis slowly intertwined her fingers with his. He didn't stop her. It made her feel more real. She squeezed his hand. She slowly lifted her head up and put her idew finger from the other hand under his chin and made him look at her. "What's wrong?" she asked gently. She was so rarely gentle.

He gulped hard, "What makes you think there's something wrong?" he asked with a touch of cockiness. She didn't smile. She just stared into his eyes.

"First of all, you didn't eat during breakfast, you didn't even say anything, which is surprising since it's impossible to keep Kid Mouth from shutting up and you're sitting on the roof." She told him. Wally couldn't help but smile at his old nickname. He actually missed his insulting nicknames.

"What does the roof have to do with anything?" he asked her.

"Well," she said, "whenever you're upset or mad or have a strong emotion, you try to get to high ground, the highest possible." She explained, "And the air helps you cool down. It helps you think." He smiled again, but this time it was because Artemis seemed to know so much about him that even he didn't know that well. But when he didn't reply, Artemis's face filled with worry once again, "Please, tell me what's wrong Wally." She begged, "I can help you as much as possible." He didn't answer. When she said that, it just felt like someone was squeezing his heart so much that the blood inside him stopped pumping. "Do you remember on the Eiffel Tower," she said softly, "after our first kiss, I broke down," this time she was the one who looked away, "that was the first time I've cried since I was five." that was new information to him.

_How could you not cry for ten years?_ "Artemis," he started to say but she wasn't finished yet.

A small smirk appeared on her face, "I've never cried in front of anyone before, I had so many things going on then, I didn't know how to cope with it, so many problems…" she trailed off, her eyes got teary and the smiled on her face grew a little, "And then you said that I could lean on you." A tear escaped her left eye. She looked back at him. "You have no idea what that meant to me." She said, still smiling, yet slightly crying. "With the exception of my mom and Luke, it was the first time in my life that I felt like someone cared for me. That some really cared for me. And I felt that you were telling the truth when you said that you cared about me." She said, "For once in so long, I actually felt like a person and not a monster that captured the Shadows' prisoners." He couldn't stand seeing her cry. He couldn't stand seeing her hurt. He took her in his arms and hugged her. She didn't protest, in fact she wanted him to do so.

She put her arms around him as well and cried onto his shoulders. Wally made circular movements on Artemis's back said soothing words into her ear, "It's okay." He whispered, "You're not a monster." He said, "You're Artemis. You're the girl that I can't stop thinking about. You're the girl that I'm in love with." He told her, it felt good that someone was telling her that, "You'll never be a monster. Not to me. Never." God, how corny he was! But as long as it made Artemis feel better, he didn't really care.

Artemis slowly pulled away and smiled at him, "See, I'm so weak." She said, "I'm always relying on you. You have no idea how thankful I am for that. I know you'll always be there." Her voice cracked a little.

He put his hand on Artemis's cheek, it was so warm and soft against her skin, "Look, I'm sorry that I left you," he said, regretting breaking up with her more than ever, "but I'm here now. I promise you, I'm never leaving. Never again." He felt like he was in his nightmare, promising Artemis before she died that he would stay with her always.

She closed her eyes and lean slightly onto his hand, "I know you will." She answered, her eyes opened, "that's why this time you can," she said, "lean on me." She whispered. "That means you can tell me anything. Absolutely anything."

He smiled a little, "I told you that and you still kept your family a secret from me." He didn't mean it in a bad way, he just wanted to point it out.

She smiled too, which was good, for a moment there, he thought that she was going to push him off the edge, and honestly, so did she, "Yeah," was all she said, "I know and I regret it. But now I know one hundred and ten percent that you meant it when you said that I can count on you on anything." It was incredible that after about four months of not seeing each other, that with one kiss, they trusted each other more than ever, "And I'm happy that I told you. At first, I thought that if I told you, I would become weak―"

"You're strong," Wally cut her, "You're the strongest person I've ever known, going through all that, knowing right from wrong even if you were raised by the Shadows. You provided for you and your mom, then you started becoming GA's protégé. You pretty much raised yourself, really. And yet, you didn't let yourself go down. You fought. You fought your way up and won. All by yourself. I couldn't be more proud of you," he kissed her forehead gently, "You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. And it doesn't make you weak telling us sooner you know. If you had told us sooner, we could have helped. You don't have to do everything by yourself just because you think it would make you weak. It would only make you stronger. It means that you're not afraid of showing people who you really are." He really did admire her, "I can't even imagine what you went through. It must have been hell." It was, Artemis thought. "And after you told us, it meant that you trusted us. And cared for us."

"I always will care for my family." She corrected him. "You guys are my family. A family loves each other. No matter what. My dad never gave me that." She said. "He just trained me like a dog. Only you love your pets, he never did." She almost hissed, "Jade," Artemis thought of her sister, "she was a sister. She took care of me when I was too young to care for myself." She gulped, "Then she left, I know she didn't want to leave me. But sometimes you have to do things that you _hate_ to survive. She needed her own life. She knew dad would train me next but she left me. Alone." She remembered the last time she saw Jade as her sister and not her enemy, she was clutching onto her teddy bear, "I understand her choice to leave. I don't resent her for that. I resent her for working with Sportsmaster. She left because of _him_. And now she's working _for_ him. It doesn't make sense. Sometimes I wonder if she really was my sister. Did she really love me? Did she even care for me? And if so, is that Jade still in there?"

Wally put a protective arm around her, "If she's still there, I don't know. But she was there. She wasn't always evil. She was your sister. She always will be, I know that." She laid her head on his shoulder again.

"Sometimes, I just wish she was my sister again." She mumbled. Then all of a sudden, she lifted her head up and slapped Wally on the shoulder, hard enough that it left a red mark on his skin.

He touched his red skin gently and looked at her in confusion, "What the heck what _that_ for?"

"You changed the subject!" she cried out with a little chuckle, "_I_ was supposed to make _you_ feel better! Not the other way around! Now tell me what's wrong!" although she was serious, it didn't look like it. She was smiling with her lips _and_ eyes.

"Nothing." He answered. "Nothing's wrong. I promise you. Nothing's wrong." This time, he wasn't lying. Now that she was there with him, he felt fine. He just needed her beside him at all times. To remind him that it was just a dream, she didn't really die. She was still his. "As long as you stay with me, nothing's wrong." He told her sweetly. For some reason, Artemis believed him. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because it was true this time or maybe because she didn't want to ruin the moment. Either way, she was just happy she was finally with him again. And so was he. Out of nowhere, he put his hand against her cheek again, "Stay with me." He whispered and for some reason she already knew what to say, "Always." She replied.

Before either of them knew it, their lips were against each other. Soft and sweet. It felt so nice to know that she was there, with him and that she wasn't going anywhere. A huge wave of relief overtook Wally and he kissed her back, slightly stronger this time. He just wanted to stay like that forever. To never leave her side. To always be the one she went to. He remembered that she once called him her go-to-guy back in Paris. He could feel her kiss back and his hands were already entangled in her tied hair, messing the ponytail a tiny bit while her hands were on each side of his face, it was like she was cradling his head. It felt good; the touch of her skin on his face warmed him. Or cooled him. He didn't know if he still felt warm from the dream or cold without her touch. He didn't know. He didn't care. He just cared that he was there. With her. And she wasn't going to go anywhere. And he wished it would stay like that.

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><p><strong>So? Is it a nice ending? I know, it's not a cliffhanger but I just like it. And OMG, all of the reviewers wrote "PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS A DREAM!" or "THIS IS A DREAM RIGHT?" I was like XD I was so happy with all of them. Of course I'd never kill Artemis. She's my absolute favorite character! And what do you think's going to happen to Wally? OH, and do ANY of you remember Wally saying that to Artemis? I did but only slightly so I just re-read the chapter from COMPLICATIONS, wow that was such a long time ago now, and I can't believe I wrote that CORNY! hehe my bad :) Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	9. Nightmare

**Hey there. I know, I haven't updated in a few days but there's been longer. And there's nothing really important that happens in this chapter. It's kinda like a prologue of what's gonna happen to Wally. SPOILER (for this fic, not the cartoon) something's gonna happen to Wally, I don't know whether you're going to anticipate it or not. Hopefully not since I wanna shock you guys. And it's going to be horrible. He's not gonna die, I assure you. I don't have the heart to do that. But something's gonna happen that's gonna break Spitfire... PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 9: Nightmare<span>

Wally entered an old telephone booth and he appeared in the training room of Mount Justice. He sighed; it was nice to be back where he belonged. In front of him, Robin and Zatanna were training. They stopped for a second and stared at him. The magician ran towards him and hugged him tightly. "Wally!" she shrieked as his arms went around her. They let go a second after, "Batman said you weren't coming until tomorrow!" she cried out.

Wally smiled at her, "I just couldn't wait to see you guys again." He replied.

Behind Zatanna, Robin chuckled, "You mean you couldn't wait to see Artemis." He muttered but loud enough for both of them to hear.

"Fine. Where is she anyway?" Wally asked them.

Both Zatanna and Robin giggled, "She's at the beach with Luke and Adam." Robin replied and pointed behind him.

"Adam?" Wally looked confused.

Robin nodded, "Yeah, he's staying with Arty while GA and Canary are on their honeymoon." He explained.

Wally nodded lightly and headed towards the exit, "Thanks," he waved behind him at his friends. Wally's feet dug into the warm, white sand of the beach.

The moment his eyes adjusted to the bright afternoon sunlight, he spotted Luke, Artemis and Adam were sitting down on the sand, building a sand castle a few meters away from him. The second he saw her, visions of the nightmare of the night before came flooding back into his mind. Every night it was different way but in the end, he was always too late, always failed to save her, always lost the one he loved. And even if she didn't always die in his arms, they always said the same last words. And every morning, he would end up screaming her name.

He forced the memories away and was behind them a few seconds later.

Luke was the first one to see him arrive, "Hey Wally." He waved at him.

Artemis turned around and stood up immediately and hugging him as tightly as she could. It's been a week since they last saw each other but they haven't stopped texting or called each other. And even with the scent of the sea around them, he could still smell the sweet scent of vanilla in her hair. He could feel his skin make contact with hers. "I missed you." She whispered in his ear. Even though she couldn't see him, he couldn't help but smile. "I missed you too." He replied. The soft breaths on her bare shoulder sent shivers down her spine.

After a few more seconds, they separated and Wally realized that Artemis was wearing a green bikini. He flushed and became as red as a tomato and looked down at his sneakers full of sand, what he didn't know was that the blonde girl was also blushing.

That's why it was a relief to both of them when Adam cut in, "Wally!" the little toddler yelled. Adam slowly walked towards the redhead, arms out and ready for a hug and being lifted up from the ground. And that's exactly what Wally did. He hugged the little boy, who started giggling like crazy. "Hey, kiddo. Long time no see." Wally said to the boy he and Artemis saved a few months ago. Adam just smiled an almost toothless grin. The speedster messed the toddler's blond hair and he started laughing again.

Then Wally turned to Luke, bare chest and wearing blue swimming trunks, that made his eyes bluer than ever, "Do you mind if I steal my lady for a while?" the redhead asked with a bright smile and putting a hand on Artemis's upper waist, accidentally making contact with her bare skin once again. He froze for a moment but didn't pull away.

Luke smiled back at them, squinting his eyes against the sun, "Please do." He joked and Artemis kicked sand onto him. "Hey!" Luke covered his face from the sand. Artemis stuck her tongue at her old friend.

Wally and Artemis turned around and started walking along the shore. "So," Artemis said, "how was your week?"

Horrible, he wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, Wally shrugged, "Nothing special." He simply said.

Artemis raised an eyebrow, not believing a word he said, "Wow, Kid Mouth has nothing to say." She had gone back to calling him by his old nickname, although this time, it was warm unlike before when it was insulting.

"Well what about you?" Wally asked, "No interesting missions or exams?"

Artemis put her hands on her hips, it reminded Wally of the first time they met, but at that time, he was the one in his swimming suit, "I'm on summer vacation duffus." She said, "I can't believe you didn't know that!"

"Well sorry, I don't go to that school anymore, remember?" He replied.

"Whatever." She push him strongly and then he pushed her back, only her foot was buried in the wet sand and slashed into the salty water. Wally immediately ran into the water and held out his hand for her, not caring if the water was up to his knees and wetting his jeans. It just felt too much like one of his dreams where she died drowning.

He took Artemis's hand in his but instead of pulling her out; she pulled him in the water. He reached back up to the surface and shook his head, trying to dry off his hair and slashing it onto Artemis's already wet face. She started laughing and then so did he. Wally stood up, this time the water was at his hip and he held out his hand a second time. Artemis took it but this time she didn't pull him in the water.

They both headed towards back to Luke who was just finishing his sand castle. He stared at both of them and then raised an eyebrow, "I'm not even going to ask," was all he said. Artemis reached for her towel on the ground beside the blond boy. She dried herself off and then passed the towel to Wally. He dried his hair and then took off his sweatshirt then his shirt and dried off his body while Artemis tried not to stare. After drying most of his body, he put back on his shirt but just hung the sweatshirt from his forearm.

On the sand, Adam was making a sand angel. Once he was done, he started to yawn. Artemis lifted him from the ground, "Is someone sleepy?" she asked Adam and he nodded a little. They headed back to the cave.

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><p>Artemis left Adam in her room for him to sleep then she changed into dry closes and retied her ponytail. She headed to the living room where Luke and Wally were drinking coke, Connor was watching the static TV screen while Kaldur was reading a book and M'gann was baking cookies.<p>

"Martial Strike…" Luke said, "Not bad, what do you think Arty?" Wally faced Artemis and smiled.

Artemis sat down on the armrest beside Luke, "What do I think about what?" she asked, confused.

"Oh," Wally replied, "we were talking about superhero names for Luke here." Wally put a hand on the blond boy's shoulder.

"Yeah, what do you think about Martial Strike?" Luke asked.

Artemis shrugged, "What about Striker?" she suggested.

"Yeah, that's cool." All three of them smiled at each other.

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><p>Wally was on top of the Eiffel Tower, in front of him, Artemis was face to face with Cheshire. The villain threw one of her blades and it cut Artemis's forearm, only then did Wally realize that the archer was covered with cuts and bruises, some clean cuts, some were deep wounds. He wanted to go to her, to help her, to stop Cheshire from hurting her but he felt like her was glued to the floor. He couldn't move his feet. He tried to reach for Artemis but his arms felt like they were tied behind his back. He couldn't get to her. He couldn't save her. Just like any other night. He would fail. He would lose her. He wouldn't be able to save her.<p>

Wally tried to fight against what felt like ropes around his hands but they would let him go, "Artemis!" he yelled.

She didn't even turn her head or even notice that he was there. She was just looking at her sister, not like she would normally look at a villain, but she looked at her like she was her sister. All of a sudden, Cheshire dropped her weapon. The two sisters stared at each other. Out of nowhere, Sportsmaster dropped from what looked like a helicopter. He hit Artemis on the head, then he pulled Artemis and brought her to the edge. He let go of her.

Wally couldn't believe his eyes, the place where they had their first kiss was the place where he was going to lose her. "Artemis!" he screamed. He could feel the imaginary ropes loosen, he ran towards the edge. Sportsmaster and Cheshire had both disappeared. Wally looked down from the Eiffel Tower; Artemis was hanging by both hands. She was clutching as hard as she could but to Wally, it didn't seem enough. He reached for her. He caught her right arm, he was holding on to her life if his life depended on it. He tried to pull her up. Normally he would be able to do it with a tug but this time, she just held on to him. She looked into his green eyes, his watery green eyes. He looked back at her, "Don't let go." He begged her. He could see Artemis gulp. And they said their last words. The very same last words every night. Somehow, even though they repeated it with every single dream, it always felt more real than the last. More promising than the one before. He held onto her, knowing that after every time they say those words, he would lose her. He didn't want to lose her. He couldn't bear to lose her. He couldn't lose her. He'd lost her ever other night and he couldn't even describe how it felt like. Losing her. Losing her every night, he thought that he might go mad.

"I love you." She said, still holding onto him but the grip was much looser.

He bit his lower lip, knowing what would happen next, "I love you so much." He could barely say.

And she let go.

"ARTEMIS!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, somehow, it never felt like it was enough. "ARTEMIS!"

His green eyes flew open. He was staring at his room in Mount Justice. The sun was slowly rising behind his window. He was panting and sweating like every time her had the nightmares. What he didn't realize was that Robin was staring at him from his chair. Once he did, he jumped a bit.

"What the heck are you doing in here?" the redhead almost yelled.

Robin just stared at his best friend, "You were screaming your head off." He simply said, "I can't even imagine what Superboy could hear."

"Yeah, bad dream." Wally shrugged.

Robin raised an eyebrow, "About Artemis?" he asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Well for the whole night you wouldn't stop yelling her name." Robin said, "Are you okay?"

Wally rolled his eyes a bit, "I'm alright. Nothing to worry about, it's just a nightmare." He shrugged, "Everyone gets some every now and then, even the amazing Boy Wonder."

Robin looked at Wally from behind his shades, something wasn't right and he knew it. But, "Okay, Miss M is making waffles and pancakes." Was all he said.

* * *

><p>Wally was happy that Artemis had decided to sleep in her apartment since she had to bring back Adam but at the same time, he ached to see her again. He needed to be sure she was still with him. That she was still his. He needed to be sure she was still alive. Just thinking that she wasn't with him made his heart pump like crazy, he needed to see her. To make sure she wasn't just a dream.<p>

Half an hour later, Artemis entered the training room. She was already in her costume. The moment Wally saw her, he went to her and kissed her, not caring if the others were staring or not. He was just so relieved to know it was just a dream. A nightmare. _It was just a dream_, he told himself, _she's still with you_. But somehow, it didn't feel real enough. It still felt like a nightmare.

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><p><strong>So? Is it okay? what do you think's going to happen to Wally? I just wanted to change it a bit and make Wally the one with the problems. And also, I know you guys are into Wally and Artemis but they're going to discover something about Luke as well... Anyway, hope you guys enjoy :) PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	10. Baby Sister

**Hey, sorry for the late update. I was just really busy these past few weeks. Anyway, short chapter and it's not really about Spitfire but at least I updated. And I started the next and I promise there will be Spitfire. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter<span> 10: Baby Sister

"What time are you coming?" Wally asked against his phone.

"Okay, I'll be there in half an hour." Artemis replied on the other side of the phone.

Wally smiled, he was finally going to see Artemis again. The last time they saw each other was five days ago on their last mission. "Uh, also, do you mind if I bring a friend?" he asked her.

"Sure," Artemis answered, "wait, Luke wants to come too."

"Okay, him along if you want." For a moment, there was a silence, Wally smiled once again. "See you in half an hour." He almost whispered.

On the other line, Artemis grinned a bit as well, "See you." She hung up and Wally just stood there, his phone still in his hand.

When he finally put his phone back in his pocket, he looked at the girl on his couch. It was Cassandra. Her parents were gone for the weekend and they didn't want to leave her alone in the house so they asked Wally's parents if she could stay with them until they came back. He and Cassandra have known each other since freshman year, when she had first moved to Central City.

Now that Wally looked at her, sitting on the couch, reading a novel, he realized how much she had changed in the past few months. She had some sort of growth spurt and didn't have her usual petite body anymore; in fact she was almost as tall as Wally. Her golden-brown hair had become more golden than brown, she was slowly becoming blonde. Even her eyes seemed to change color. Her grey eyes had become a grey-blue color. And strangely, she reminded him of someone, although he wasn't quite sure of whom.

She realized that Wally was staring at her and looked up at him from her book. "What on earth are you staring at?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied, "I'm meeting someone at the diner. You want to come with?"

She closed her book and put it on the table beside her, "Sure. I'll just get my phone upstairs." She got up and ran up the stairs.

Wally got his dad's car keys and started the car. A few minutes later, Cassandra came in and sat shotgun.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the city's diner and sat at a booth in the far corner of the room. After a few more minutes, he saw Artemis come in, followed by Luke. He waved at them. Artemis saw them, and so did Luke. And almost immediately, Luke turned a sharp left, towards the restroom. Artemis looked back to check where he was going but by then he was already in the other room. She shrugged and sat down beside Wally. She kissed him on the lips softly, so soft and warm that it made Wally forget about Cassandra, who was right in front of them.<p>

They separated and both flushed as Cassandra stared at them and then raised an eyebrow.

Wally coughed forcefully, "Sorry, Arty, this is my classmate, Cassandra Ausseil." He faced Cassandra, who was drinking her lemonade, "Sandie, this is Artemis Crock, my girlfriend."

Hearing him say girlfriend, Cassandra almost spit her drink out. Once she composed herself again, she almost yelled at the redhead, "What? Did you just say girlfriend?"

Wally smiled at Artemis, then at Cassandra and nodded. "Yeah, she is." He said, "Well, we were together, then we broke up and we're together ―" He started babbling but Artemis stuffed some garlic bread into his mouth to stop him.

Both girls chuckled and started hitting it off. Apparently they had a lot in common. They both liked the color green. They both spoke French fluently. They both know Tae Kwon Do and Karate.

"Wait." Wally said, "You know Tae Kwon Do and Karate?" he asked Cassandra.

She nodded with a smile, "Yeah."

Wally was stunned, "Since when?" he never knew she did any sport. She was always the girlie type.

Cassandra smiled, it was her little secret but the smile disappeared almost at the same time as it appeared, "I started when I was about seven." She paused, "I stopped right before high school."

"How come you never told us?" Wally asked.

Cassandra took a piece of her Caesar salad, "You never asked." She shrugged but didn't make any eye contact with either of them.

The speedster looked at her for a moment, slightly suspicious but ignored it eventually. Then he realized Luke was still in the restroom. "Hey, where on earth is Luke?" he asked Artemis.

"He went to the restroom." The archer replied.

"But he's been there for almost fifteen minutes." The redhead pointed out. Something was going on.

Artemis glanced towards the restroom, then back at her boyfriend, "You should go check on him."

"What? Why me? You're the best friend!" Wally cried out.

Artemis raised a eyebrow, "Really?" she said, "You're actually asking me that?"

"Oh," Wally mumbled, "right." He gestured her to move. She stood up and let him get out of the booth and then he headed towards the bathroom.

He entered and found Luke, leaning against the sink. He looked like he had a hangover. He was sweating and looked like he was about to puke. The blond boy looked at Wally and like if he didn't even care if the redhead was there, looked at himself in the mirror in front of him. Wally walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked beyond sick. His skin was crazy pale and looked like he hasn't slept in days.

Wally was concerned, just minutes ago, Luke seemed fine when he first entered the diner, "What happened, man?" he asked them.

Luke didn't answer. He didn't even seem to notice he was right beside him.

After a while, he exhaled deeply and forced on a smile, "Nothing's wrong." He said, but his voice seemed to crack a little, "I'm fine."

Wally didn't believe him at first but decided not to ask. Together they walked out the restroom and towards the booth. As they walked, Luke kept making his hair cover his eyes but his blond hair naturally went upwards. He cursed and put on his hood over his head, trying to hide his face. What on earth is wrong with him?

As they neared their table, Luke quickly sat beside Artemis, stealing Wally's place. The speedster raised an eyebrow. There was definitely something wrong with him. But he just thought that he was shy to meet someone new so Wally sat down Sandie.

Cassandra and Artemis were giggling together and Wally was happy they were getting along so well. "So," he asked, "what are you guys talking about?"

"I can't believe you gave her the nickname 'Sandie'." Artemis answered him from across the table.

All of a sudden, Wally felt so alone. Not being beside her made his heart ache. He felt as though he was across the universe instead of being across the table. He just needed to make sure she wasn't an illusion. That this wasn't one of those nightmares that kept him awake most nights.

But he realized everyone was waiting for his answer, even Luke who was staring from the side of his hood. "Well," he finally said, "Cassie just seemed too common for Cassandra. And now I'm happy I didn't call her that cause of little Cassie." He paused, "So then, I was thinking about Sandra. But, I don't know. She just doesn't feel like a Sandra. So I just called her Sandie."

The archer chuckled, "Like the squirrel from Spongebob?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Like the squirrel." He agreed with a forced smile.

Artemis didn't seem to notice, or at least ignore it and faced Cassandra, "And you don't call him anything stupid?"

Cassandra smiled, "Freckle-face." She replied and Artemis burst out laughing like a complete maniac that even Wally cracked a smile.

The only one not smiling was Luke. And Artemis realized that. "Oh God, I'm being rude," she said, "Cassandra, this is Luke." She gestured towards Luke who immediately turned away. His best friend slapped him on the shoulder, "Luke!" she cried out. "Stop acting like a baby!" she turned back to Cassandra, "Sorry, I have no idea why he's being such a jerk!" But Luke still wouldn't look at Cassandra in the eye.

Artemis was getting annoyed, "Luke!" she almost yelled.

That got him. He lifted his eyes a little bit, shinning behind the hood. And that was all Cassandra needed. Just a single glance at those bright baby blue eyes.

She froze. Her heart pretty much stopped beating for a whole minute.

Wally waved his hand before her face. She blinked. But that was all.

And after a while, Cassandra spoke, "Luke?" she asked softly, "Is that you?"

The blond boy under the hood didn't do anything at first. But eventually, he took of the hood and revealed himself. Cassandra put her hands over her mouth. She started to whimper and tears feel out of her eyes. Wally shoved his legs to the side as Cassandra got out of the booth at the same time as Luke. Even Luke shed a few tears. They hugged both of them crying. And now that Wally looked at them, side by side, he couldn't believe it himself.

Artemis on the other hand, just stared at them. "What the heck is going on?" she asked, confused as ever.

Although, neither of them seemed to notice her, "Please don't tell me I'm dreaming." Cassandra whispered.

"It's really me." Luke answered.

Artemis was sort of getting pissed off. "Hello?" she said, "What the heck is going on? Do you guys know each other?"

They finally stopped hugging and faced the archer. And Luke finally answered her question, "Cassandra is my baby sister."

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><p><strong>So? What do you think? PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>

**MAJOR HUGE FREAKING SPOILER! Who here has watched 'Auld Aquantance'? Cause I just pretty much died in this episode. I mean just everything was pretty much perfect. I loved the Spitfire kiss. I was smiling for hours, I couldn't sleep at all. I loved the corny quote that Wally said and I totally agree with it! He SHOULD have done that a REALLY long time ago. One thing though, I thought that the other kisses kinda ruined the Spitfire kiss. Don't get me wrong. I love Chalant (Z/R) and Kaldur/Rocket and I really think that Supermartian is super cute but I really wanted the Spitfire kiss to be theirs. Anyway, still LOVE the kiss though! Can't wait until this weekend! :DDDDDDD**


	11. I'm Sure

**Hey again. This chapter, I actually finished early. It's also pretty short but longer than the last. And in the end, there's a small Spitfire moment that I hope you guys will like. And a little... I don't know what to call it. News report of my fic? Anyway, just wanted to say, that thing that's going to happen to Wally is coming soon. Sooner than I thought actually. Either next chapter or the one after that. Hehe, are you guys anxious to read it or are you guys too scared of what's going to happen to Wally? PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter<span> 11: I'm Sure

"What the heck happened to you?" Cassandra asked her brother as they sat back down into the booth.

And at that very moment, Wally, Artemis and Luke started arguing whether they should tell Cassandra the truth or not. Which was sort of bugging Cassandra but decided not to say anything.

"Please, I haven't seen her in almost three years." Luke begged them, "Please, just put yourself in her place. What if your brother or sister went missing for that long?" Then he saw the look on Artemis's face. "I'm sorry, Arty."

The archer bit her lip. Her sister had left her. She respected Jade's decision. In fact, if she was in her place, she would have done the same things years before she ever did.

Wally sighed, and thought about it. What if Cassie or Mark went missing? He couldn't imagine what that would feel like. "Okay," he gave in, "but if Bats finds out you're taking the blame."

Luke nodded, "Of course." Then he faced his best friend, "What about you?"

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and then nodded calmly.

The whole time, Cassandra was staring at them like madmen. "So, are you ever going to tell m e what happened to my big brother?"

Luke took a deep breath and started what had happened to him, beginning almost 3 years in the past. "When I was walking home, I took the shortcut and I saw the Shadows murder a woman." He gulped, he could never get over what he saw, especially since the woman who was murdered looked right into his eyes before she died, "And then, they saw me. They imprisoned me and then I met Artemis."

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><p>"So," Cassandra said after the other three explained what had happen to her brother. She taking quick, short breaths, "you're telling me that one of my best friend since freshman is Kid Flash. And his girlfriend, who so happens to be your best friend is Green Arrow's protégé who also so happens to be the Sportsmaster's daughter who was also a member of the Shadows. And then, she helped you escape but you got caught again. They were going to kill you until Artemis cut in and told her dad that you could be useful for the Shadows. Sportsmaster saw that you could do Karate and Tae Kwon Do and a few other things and accepted you?" she asked so fast that she was pretty red.<p>

"More or less." Luke said, "He accepted mostly because he knew I could be trained."

She nodded and tried not to faint at all the information coming at her, "And then together you guys helped prisoners escape. And one day, you just suddenly got the news that Artemis moved to Spain while she got the news that you were dead." Both Artemis and Luke nodded, "But really she was undercover, trying to get info about the Justice League?"

"No, well not really." Artemis said and then started explaining her whole history, again. Including the members of her family, "The Shadows thought that I was giving them info about the JLA because they thought that I was working undercover for them but really, all that info was crap. It was totally fake. Instead, I gave _real_ info to the Justice League about The Shadows."

Cassandra's mouth turned into an 'o' and then nodded again, she was getting slightly dizzy with all this betraying stuff and who was working for who, "And then, a year later, the Shadows capture Artemis and Wally. Or Kid Flash, whatever you call him. And you helped them escape?" this time all three members of the Team nodded, "And now, you're the newest member of their Team that consist of teenager superheroes." She gulped, she was wondering if this was a joke from Wally who hired some guy to play her missing brother.

But that was impossible. Nobody outside her family knew about Luke. It was just too depressing talking about it. And all of a sudden, she finds out her friend has been keeping secrets from her, forget secrets, he's been keeping a double life from her. And her brother was part of the League of Shadows and now he's part of a teenage superhero team.

And yet, she believed every single word they said.

After a few minutes of silence, Artemis spoke, "Look, I know, it's really hard to believe but―"

"I believe you." She cut her off.

"What?" Wally asked, surprised anyone who didn't live in the story would believe it.

"Is there really any other explanation? I mean, I know you," she said to Wally, "you're know Artemis who knows my lost brother. I actually think this is the most reasonable explanation there is." She admitted.

The redhead sighed, "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't tell you. But it's pretty much the most important rule to not tell anybody your secret identity. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to tell you guys. But you can't tell anybody else. Batman would kill me." He told her in a hushed tone.

"Would Luke get in trouble too if I told anyone?"

"Pretty much everyone in this booth, including you." Wally replied.

Cassandra nodded, "I promise I won't tell." And she intended to keep it.

All three of them sighed in relief.

"On one condition." She continued though. "I want in."

"What?" Wally asked frantically, "You want to join the Team?" and he burst out laughing, although, he was laughing nervously.

But Cassandra didn't even seem to notice that he was giggling all by himself, "Yes." she simply said.

Wally face started to become red, "You can't just waltz in there and say that you want to become a superhero!" Wally whispered loudly.

Cassandra sat up, "And why the hell not? There're a lot of things you don't know about me Wally."

"Really, like what may I ask?"

"I do fencing. I'm black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Karate, just like Luke. I'm a gymnast and a ballet dancer. And when we were younger, our dad used to bring us to target practice almost every week." She blurred out. It was a lot of things he didn't know about her. The only thing he did know was the ballet part.

"What does the ballet have to do with anything?" he said, almost superiorly.

"I'm flexible." She answered.

"Okay, you're flexible. You do Tae Kwon Do and Karate and fencing. That's not all it takes to become a superhero." Wally leaned against his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

She was getting tired of this, if her brother could do it, so could she. "But I thought you said you had a trainer, Black Canary was it? She could teach me. And I know how to shoot and aim too. I'm actually better than Luke."

Her brother nodded, "It's true." He agreed.

"Please do not encourage her." Wally glared at Luke. In the corner, Artemis was silent. She just stared out the window and listened to their conversation. "What do you think Arty?"

She looked away from the window and stared at Wally for a few seconds, "She's trained. Not well enough to go on the field but with that experience she'll be ready in no time. And anyway, she's not the only one who needs training. We still do. It's to get us to improve. And she _will_ improve." She said, monotone. "Either way, it's her choice." She faced Cassandra, "But you have to know. This isn't some job. You're actually risking your life here." She told her, suddenly serious.

Cassandra closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them again, "I'm sure." She whispered.

* * *

><p>Artemis sat down on the edge of the cliff. She looked out the view. The ocean was in front of her, waves crashing against the shore. She was sitting on top of Mount Justice, pretty much sun bathing; her mind was deep in thought. Although, she wasn't quite sure of what. She just sat there, wondering what they were talking about inside the cave. They had brought Cassandra, she was too eager to wait. Batman was there, they explained everything to him and how Cassandra wanted to join the team. At that point, Artemis just left and climbed the mountain.<p>

She felt someone sit down beside her and instinctively laid her head on his shoulder. "How did it go?" she asked.

She could feel his heartbeat. It was fast. "He said that she'll be training for a few weeks for the next few days, and if he thinks that she's good enough then she's in." he told her.

"And where is she right now?"

"Right now, Black Canary and Bats are showing her to her room." he said, "And then, they're going to Central City and talk to their parents. There're going to bring Luke with them." he put his hand on top of her head, "They're going to talk to the family about Luke's situation and the same thing for Sandie." He paused, then continued a few moments later, "He's finally going back to his family."

She wanted to smile but couldn't bring herself to do so.

Wally's been pushing it away for a few hours but he couldn't take it anymore, "What's wrong?" he whispered.

The archer sighed, "Nothing."

Wally pulled his body away, making Artemis hold her head by herself. He out his index finger under her chin and made her look at him in the eye. "What is it?" he asked, "You know you can tell me anything."

Artemis pressed her lips against each other, "I know." She said, "It's just that, Luke's my best friend. And I didn't even know he had a sister. And seeing him so happy just made me realize that he had a life before the Shadows captured him. That he had a life before me." He paused, "I feel so selfish."

Wally smiled one of his goofy grins, "Artemis, I've know Sandie for two years. She never even mentioned that she did Tae Kwon Do or Karate or gymnastics or fencing. Much less tell me she had a brother." He paused and looked at the ocean, behind it; the sun was slowly setting, giving the sky different colors like a light lilac, a few oranges and different shades of yellow. "Honestly, it made me feel like a bad friend. But then I thought about it, if you were them, would you really want to tell anyone?"

She didn't say anything.

"See, I guess it's completely normal if you feel that way." Wally said.

He put his arm around her waist and put her on his lap. He could smell her sweet vanilla scent. It calmed him down a bit, he couldn't stop thinking about his dream of the night before. This time, it was an explosion. She was supposed to check up on one of the abandoned warehouses. Before she left, they said the same last words. They said it so much that he pretty much knew it by heart. But right before she even entered the building, it exploded.

Having her so close to him made his day feel easier. Like if he didn't have to fight every night, like it wasn't some sort of battle field. It made him realize that it wasn't actually real. That it was just some stupid nightmare. And he kissed her; it was soft and sweet, as always, and as usual, made him feel alive. Both his hands were cupping her face while her arms were around his neck, pushing them closer together. Sometimes, he just wished they could stay like that forever. What he didn't know, was the she wished the exact same thing.

They stopped when they needed to breath and then just stared at the sunset. She laid her head on his chest, he wasn't as strong as Superboy or Aqualad but he was still extremely strong for his age. And just feeling him so close her made her feel so protected. Not just that, he also made her feel at home, like she belong with him. He was her missing puzzle piece. And she'd never been this happy to finally be on summer vacation.

Because every day for the next two months, she was going to see him. She was going to see Wally. I made her feel warm inside but thinking about the hours where they weren't together already made her long for them even more. During those moments, he was going to be her missing puzzle piece. And so was she.

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><p><strong>SSSOOOO? what do you guys think of the really tiny Spitfire moment? I was planning to make it longer but decided against it. I just really like the ending of the puzzle piece. <strong>

**And very important, at least to me, HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY to one of my very best friends, Louise Ausseil! Lub you :) And actually, Cassandra and Luke's last name is "Ausseil" ;)**

**And if ANY of your bdays are coming soon, just review and then I'll give a little shout out ;))**


	12. Pull Away

**Hey! This is also an early update. It's sort off short but hey, at least I updated. And like the last chapter, I like the ending, at least the last three lines. Anyway, I hope you like and please don't forget to REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 12: Pull Away <span>

He stared into the water. The water that just devoured her. That killed her. And now, she's gone.

She's gone.

He repeated that in his head several times but it just didn't stick. It wasn't possible. She can't be gone. It didn't feel like she was gone. But he knew too well that she was. And without her, he was lost. He was pretty much gone too.

Then he started screaming. Screaming so hard that he was sure that he would lose his voice for a few days. But he didn't care. He just wanted to scream. He just needed to scream. To get all of his feelings out.

Anger. Hatred. Pain. Sadness. Love.

But how could you still love when the only person you did love just died in front of you eyes. He screamed again. And again. And again. Until his eyes flew open.

Only then did he realize that Robin was shaking him. Even under his sunglasses, Wally could tell his best friend was worried about him. But he shrugged off Robin's hand, which was still on his shoulder.

The Boy Wonder let his hand fall but stared at Wally, "You were screaming your head off. And this time, you weren't even making any sense." He said with a slight touch of worrisome in his voice, "Sometimes, you were screaming her name, other times, you were just screaming like it was nobody's business."

And for some reason, that got the redhead to snap, "Well it really isn't any way!" he almost yelled.

Robin just stared at him, and his eyes filled with hurt. Wally saw it, even if it was only for a second and regretted everything he just said, "Robin." Wally mumbled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scream at you." He apologized.

Robin didn't say anything at first but then started talking, "It's okay. I was just a bit worried." He started to leave but stopped at the door frame and turned his head so that he was looking at Wally from the side of his eyes, "You're just lucky Arty's not here yet." And with that, he left without another word.

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><p>Wally poured a milk into his glass and put the carton on the counter. He took a deep breath. He put his hands on the counter, his arms straight and he looked at the glass full of milk. And all of a sudden, he felt like puking it instead of drinking it. Then his mind started to wonder.<p>

Out of nowhere, a pair of hands pressed against his shoulders from behind. He tensed. Then when he realized who it was, his muscles relaxed. But it was too late, Artemis had already Wally tense when she touched him. She started rubbing his shoulders, she's very done that. But she could feel his muscles loosen when she did it.

Then she saw the untouched glass of milk, "What's wrong?" she whispered into his ear, still massaging his shoulders.

"Nothing." He said but he had lost his voice, as he had predicted. But he didn't really care. Screaming was the only thing keeping him sane.

But of course, she didn't believe him. So she turned him around and made him face her as he leaned on the counter. Her fierce grey eyes stared into his, and for some reason, the speedster couldn't help but wince. They reminded him too much of his nightmares. Every time he lost her, those dark grey eyes were looking at his green ones, and it just brought back all the memories of his dreams. The dreams that made him scream until he had no more to scream with.

And Artemis, raised to be observant as ever, saw him flinch. At that very moment, she'd never felt so rejected in her whole entire life, even more than when she first came to the Team and Wally had rejected her so bad that they fought pretty much every day.

When Wally stared back at her, she wasn't looking into his eyes anymore. She was just looking at the ground. And even though she wasn't looking at him, the redhead could still see the pain in her eyes. Was he going to hurt everyone he bumped into today? And he felt sorry, he didn't mean to back away; it was just that the eyes in his nightmares looked too much like the real ones.

So he forced himself to put his finger under her chin and made her look at him, just like a few days ago. Their eyes met. Green and grey. But this time, her eyes weren't fierce like they were a few seconds ago but soft. And hurt. It reminded him even more of his dreams. It reminded him of their last words of every night. But he forced himself to not look away.

He pulled her chin towards him and kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled away, it was only a little bit, leaving only about 2 inches of space between them. They could feel their breaths on each other. They were both staring at each other lips. "Nothing's wrong." He whispered and kissed her again. She smiled against his lips. And whispered something back but he didn't catch it. He was just processing that she wasn't gone. That she was still there. And that made him smile against her lips as well.

But as his mind started to lose itself, images flashed through his mind.

_"Don't leave me." She whispered._

Then it changed, showing another one.

_"Wally!" she shrieked as she was shot by a masked man._

Then again.

_She was dying, in her arms, so light and pale, "I love you." She whispered and then took her last breath._

Wally pushed her away. They both stared at each other, shocked at what the redhead just did. Both of their eyes were huge. "I'm sorry." He mumbled before he ran out the room, he left within a millisecond. Leaving his glass of milk full.

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><p>Artemis put down the bowl of mashed potatoes on the picnic table. Once she, Zatanna, M'gann, Luke and Kaldur prepared the table, they all sat down on the grass. They waited as the rest of the Team arrived and some of their mentors.<p>

Artemis just stared at her mother, sitting in her wheelchair and reading a book. But after a while, she started thinking about Wally. What the heck was happening to him? One minute, he was depressed about something, then they were kissing and then he pushed her away and ran off. Who does that? He better have a good explanation.

"What was that?" Zatanna asked, sitting beside M'gann, who were flipping through a magazine.

Only then did the archer realize she spoke out loud. "Nothing." She said.

"_Okay, what's wrong?"_

Artemis almost jumped out of her seat. "_M'gann! You scared the crap out of me!"_

"_Oops." _The Martian said mentally_, "I didn't mean to startle you. I was just worried."_

"_It's okay, M'gann. Just warn me next time."_

This time, it was Zatanna who spoke,_ "So, what's up with you?"_

"_Nothing's wrong. I'm just really bored!" _she cried out,_ "I mean, how long does it take to buy a few litters of coke?"_

Zatanna stared at Artemis with a doubtful look,_ "I'm sure Robin, Connor and Wally are coming soon."_

"_They've been gone for forty minutes!" _Artemis cried out.

"_They have to carry six bottles of one point five litters of coke. Give them a break."_

"_Connor's with them! He could carry all that with no problem!"_

"_She does have a point." _M'gann agreed with Artemis.

Zatanna rolled her eyes and sighed,_ "Fine," _she said,_ "if they don't arrive in five minutes, we'll go look for them."_

As the conversation ended, they could just make out the figure of the three boys and a blonde girl. As they came closer, the girl who was with the boys was Cassandra. Artemis didn't know that she was coming but was happy that her best friend was going to spend the 4th of July with his little sister.

The boys put the bottles of coke down on the wooden picnic table. The teenagers all hung out, sitting on the grass and presenting the others to Cassandra and how she was related to Luke. And unlike a few days ago, where it almost took them an hour just to explain everything, this time, it only took about fifteen minutes. Although, Cassandra was still surprised to meet a Martian, a Krypitonian and an actually magician all in the same day.

She explained how she would start training on Wednesday after she came back from her outing with Louise and Vanessa. Since beginning of May, all three girls have been planning their four day vacation, they were going to the beach and only last week did they decide to bring Kyle and Nathan with them.

Cassandra clutched her stomach as she giggled, "Is that why you couldn't come with us?" she said, still giggling.

Wally's lips curved into a slight smile, "Yeah, I was planning on catching up on my training." He said, "I really wanted to go though, I swear I did."

After a few minutes, some of the mentors started to arrive, Dinah and Ollie with Adam. Then Allen West and Iris with Mark and Cassie. Even Billy came with his uncle. Batman, Superman and Aquaman dropped by and stayed for half an hour before leaving again.

They played soccer and volleyball, they even played hide and seek for the kids' sake. But no matter how many games they played, Wally stayed away from Artemis as much as possible.

The Team, including Cassandra were laughing at Robin who had just gotten a kiss from Zatanna, which was a dare but apparently Robin didn't care.

And just for a second, a whole second, grey eyes met green. They locked. But when that one second passed, there was blood all over Artemis. He blinked. When he looked at her, she had a few stains of dirt on her jeans and boots but other than that, she was clean. No sign of blood whatsoever. His mind was playing with him. That was it. And then, he realized he was staring at her lips. He looked at her grey eyes again, they were big and innocent. Just like when she was dying in his dreams all over again.

He forced himself to look away. Since they started dating again, the nightmares haunted him so bad that he always had to make sure that she was still alive and still with him. And every time he saw her, a huge wave of relief washed over him. It was the same a few days ago but something changed. Ever since that dream where she drowned, he couldn't help but see her dying, whether he was staring at a picture of her or on the phone with her.

Did that make any sense anyway? He loved it when he saw her but now, he also hated and dreaded it.

He actually thought he was going crazy. Who knew? Maybe he was.

He just loved her so much.

And because of that, he needed just one thing.

To pull away.

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><p><strong>So? What do you think? I know, really short but I just wanted to point out that something's wrong with Wally. You might find out in the next chapter of the one after, I don't know really, I just write as I go. My ideas are normally vague when when I start typing on my laptop, I just write what feels right. And I'll try to make the next chapter longer but I have this huge Spanish assignment due for Monday and I haven't started yet! And then, I have to start to do this power point thing for English and then I have an French exam on Tuesday. And yes, I am learning all of those languages. Actaully I speak French and English fluently, just learned Spanish this year. So I can't make any promises. Anyway, really hope you like it, and BTW, the 4th of July thing isn't over yet. More of it in the next chapter, hopefully... PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	13. Blood

**Hey! Another early update! It's just one of those moments where writing is the only thing I feel like doing and my fingers are going at 100km/h. Anyway, this chapter is longer than my latest crapy work. And BTW, since this is the third installment to this series, I wanna have more reviews than the other COMPLICATIONS. I hope I will and hope you guys enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 13: Blood<span>

"Kids!" Paula shouted from the picnic table, "Time to eat!"

The teens and the kids walked up to table and started eating. Well, most of them. Artemis played with her Caesar salad while Wally slowly ate his French fries, one after another.

Zatanna elbowed Robin, who stared at both of them; Artemis was at the very left while Wally was at the right. The magician and Robin had some sort of private conversation and agreed on something.

After lunch, the Team decided to relax a bit so they just sat on the grass and told each other stories that made them laugh so hard that their stomachs hurt. But once that got boring, they decided to play Frisbee.

As Luke threw the red Frisbee, both Wally and Artemis reached out to catch it. But both their hands caught the circular disc, Artemis tripped and fell on Wally. They started rolling down the hill together. Once they stopped rolling, Wally was on top of her. He looked at Artemis, she was giggling. She was _giggling_. Her tied hair was messed up, yet to him, she looked like an angel. One she stopped laughing, they stared at each other. Her grey eyes were shinning in the afternoon sun. He's seen her be happy, but it was rare for him to see her enjoy herself like this. Free. He knew that most days she was so mad at herself for just being related to her father that she forced herself not to be happy. He knew that. She didn't.

And he just stared at her laughing. It was so rare to see her happy and free. Most of all, it was rare to see her _let_ herself be free. But after a few seconds of looking at her, all Wally could see was blood all over again.

Wally looked at his hand, he was holding the Frisbee, but so was she. He stared at it, and then felt like the very touch of it electrified him and let go within a second, "Sorry, you can have it." He mumbled after he staggered and walked towards M'gann.

Artemis stopped laughing and stared at the disc in her hand; something was really off with him, she knew that.

The earlier that day, when they were on the phone, he kept chocking his words and hung up and then the day before, in the kitchen when he had pushed her away. Something was happening to him.

She stared at the Frisbee one more time, ran up the hill and threw it to no one in particular.

But nor Wally nor Artemis knew that Robin and Zatanna were staring at them the whole time.

Everyone sat down on the grass once again, the sun had set and they were starring at the stars and the moon. The adults and younger kids went home and left the teenagers at the park. And as they stared into the night sky, M'gann made Connor put his arm around him, even Robin suddenly made a move on Zatanna and moved a bit closer to her and hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders. He paused and waited for her reaction. But all she did was laid her head on his shoulder. That was all it took to make The Boy Wonder relax.

Wally stared at Robin. If Robin finally made a move on Zatanna then Wally could face his _girlfriend_.

Just because he needed to pull away didn't mean he couldn't check on her.

So he stood up and looked for Artemis. She wasn't there. Wally silently slipped away from their group and started walking around, looking for the blonde archer. After a few minutes, he finally found her. Her legs were folded, her arms wrapped around them. The speedster couldn't see that much but there was just enough moonlight to see that Artemis back was rising and falling at an uneven beat.

He walked towards her and sat down beside her on the top of the hill. When she realized he was beside her, she quickly whipped her cheeks dry but her eyes were red, she hoped that the darkness would help her hide them. She waited and expected him to talk, but he didn't say a word.

She didn't even know why she was there, alone. She just felt like being alone. She sniffed and that confirmed what he thought what she was doing. He put a protective arm around her. She pushed it away. At first, she wasn't sure why she did it. But then she realized, she wanted him to feel rejected like he did.

"Okay," the redhead said, "what the heck did I do?"

She didn't reply, she just stared into the city of Gotham.

He knew that once Artemis set her mind to something, there was no changing it. "Hey, look." He said calmly, "Whatever I did to piss you off, I'm sorry."

The archer chuckled. It was a dry and emotionless chuckle. She put her chin and her mouth behind her knees, "You don't even know why I'm mad at you." She muttered behind her knees.

"So tell me!" he cried out. And at that very moment, he started to see blood all over again. He remembered his first nightmare, where Artemis was killed by her own father. And now that Wally got to see the park at night, this was the very hill where he saw her being cut, and then finally stabbed her. His breath suddenly became uneven. He gulped and closed his eyes. "Just tell me," was all he was able to say. But even though, his voice was so shaky that he was surprised that he didn't just break down.

Artemis noticed his shaky voice and sat up, "Wally, are you okay?" she asked, worried.

He nodded stiffly but his eyes were still closed, the images flashed through his mind all over again. He didn't know that he could handle seeing them again. But he forced himself to look at her, "I'm okay." He told her, slightly tense. He took a deep breath and looked at her in the eyes. They reminded him of the dying girl in his arms, or the girl drowning in front of her, or the girl that was burned to death. He thought that he was going to flee if he had to look at her for another second. But then, he saw the real Artemis. The one that was perfectly healthy, the one that was right in front of him. In the beginning, they were at each other's throats, and then she became the girl he couldn't live without.

And all of a sudden, he had the strength to talk, "So," he said still slightly stiffly but more confident than before, "why are you mad at me?"

At those words, Artemis curled up again, "I'm not mad." She mumbled.

The speedster put a hand on her shoulder, thankfully this time, she didn't move it. "So what did I do?" he asked her, almost like himself.

The archer sighed then looked at Wally with a serious expression, "Do you want me to be your girlfriend?" she asked, almost angry.

"What?" Wally cried out, his hand leaving her shoulder, "Of course I want you to be my girlfriend! What kind of question is that?"

Artemis let out a breath, and then leaned on him, "It's just that," she said, "you've been avoiding me."

He didn't say anything. He didn't feel like lying to her. He _was_ avoiding her. "I'm sorry." He whispered into her tied hair.

She didn't pull away though, "Why?" she asked.

Now, was the time to lie, so he did, "I just didn't feel so good." He said, "And I didn't want you to worry or anything, I don't want you to catch anything." He lied.

"But what about today? You've been avoiding me the whole day." She told him, "You won't even look at me in the eye." She said, depressed.

He didn't know what to say this time, he was caught, "I'm sorry, okay?" he said.

Her lips curled upwards but it wasn't quite a smile, "Can we just forget about it? I just want to spend the rest of 4th of July with my boyfriend."

He tensed. But after a few moments later, he forced himself to put his arm around her, letting her rest on him, "Okay." He whispered against her head.

And as he finished his words, fireworks exploded in the sky, lighting up the park with reds, greens, blues and yellows. They stayed like that for a few more minutes and kissed her hair, it wasn't forced but natural, but as the moments passed, Wally felt a little nauseous and knew that something was wrong with him.

Like all the memories of the girl he loved dying were surfacing. For a moment, he thought that he was going to puke. Five minutes passed and he couldn't take it anymore. His head was throbbing. Images flash through his mind. But they were all of her. Either way, she was either about to die, dying or dead. His breathing became uneven and soon he was panting.

By that time, Artemis was already sitting up, staring at him. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack. She was terrified. All she did was scream, "Robin!" she yelled, "Zatanna! M'gann! Luke! Somebody!" she yelled.

She was so scared that, she had to hold onto him. She squeezed his forearm as hard as she could. And she knew what it felt like to be helpless. Seeing so many people die in front of her and not being able to help them. That was helpless. But she had never, ever in her hell of a life felt so helpless. And all she could do was watch.

She yelled for her Team once again. Within seconds, the rest of the Team arrived to where they were and they started running when they saw Wally panting, sweating and shaking.

And though Wally could barley breath. It didn't compare to when he saw her dying. And even though, he knew it was only in his head, it still felt so real. And those were the actual moments when he really felt like he was dying.

He took one more look at Artemis. She still had blood all over her but he didn't care anymore. He took her head and kissed her lips. They tasted sweet, as usual but he could taste the slightest taste of blood.

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><p>Wally opened his eyes. It was the first time in what felt like ages that he didn't scream while waking up. But what felt like ages was only three weeks.<p>

Although he wasn't screaming, he was still sweating and panting and shaking. He let out a shaky breath and balled up his hands into a fists. Once he relaxed, he slowly sat up and leaned on his left arm. He was in his room in the cave. He looked at the other side of his double bed and sleeping beside him was Artemis. She was sleeping on her side, facing Wally but her eyes were closed and her hair was untied. It was messy and all over the pillow.

He's only seen her with her hair down a few times like during her birthday and the wedding. He heard her steady breathing. She looked so peaceful when she slept. Like if she didn't go through what she did. Most of the time, he was surprised that she didn't commit suicide or something. To have that kind of history and blame yourself for everything and yet, still not wanting to take your own life. He thought that was crazy. But then he thought about it, if he was ever in his place, he wouldn't have done it. But the only reason why he wouldn't have was because of her.

Was he the one keeping her from taking her own life?

He felt sort of guilty. If he was right, he was the reason she couldn't move on. He was the reason why she will never be really peaceful.

And he hated himself for that. Yet, he was still a little happy because without her, he wasn't sure if he would be able to live. And seeing her like that every night already gave him a glimpse of what it would be like.

And it was only then that he realized that he couldn't remember his dream. Not tonight. Not like the other nights. And although he didn't remember it, he knew that he had had one. If he hadn't then he wouldn't be sweating and panting or shaking like he was. But he was more than happy that he couldn't remember it.

He smiled a little. He didn't remember the last time he did smile right after waking up. His gaze changed from her to the window. The sun was already high up but he could tell it was still morning. Artemis's leg twitched and he immediately looked at her. She was still sleeping. Maybe it was she was dreaming. But he didn't dare wake her up.

So he just stared at her. He could see blood again. His breathing became quick and he thought he was going to pass out like the day before. He wasn't even sure if it was the day before. But he wouldn't have cared if it was a year ago. But when he looked at her sleeping, she wasn't breathing. He wasn't sure if it was him who was imagining that or if that's what really was happening. There was blood all over her civilian clothes and her skin was so pale she pretty much looked dead. Wally forced himself to close his eyes, and let out a shaky breath. He opened them again but when he opened them, this time, Artemis was breathing perfectly fine and there was no sign of blood anywhere.

He let out a sigh of relief. What the heck's happening to me? A few days ago, the sight of Artemis gave him joy because every morning he thought that she was dead. But now, when he saw her, all he could see was that she was either dead or dying or visions and memories of her dying. He didn't know how much longer he could take it.

He looked at her again; she was sleeping this time and not dead. A strand of her shorter hair, that Wally always loved, was over her face. He gently tucked it behind her ear. Her nose twitched a bit but that was all.

He leaned towards her and kissed her soft, untied blonde hair. When he pulled away, she was still alive. Now that he was sure that she wasn't actually one of his dreams, he got out of his bed and realized he was shirtless and was wearing a pair of khaki shorts. He went to his dresser and put on his usual undershirt and his short sleeve button down that was never actually buttoned.

Once fully clothed, he slowly closed the door of his bedroom, making sure he didn't make a sound since he knew very well that the archer was trained to hear a pin fall in her sleep. When he was sure he didn't make any noise, he walked towards the kitchen and ate half a bowl of cereal. Fortunately, nobody was there yet to notice his lack of eating (he normally ate two bowls, sometimes, three).

When he washed his bowl, he sat down on the couch and stared at the TV, which was turned off. Then he stared feeling his eyelids become heavy, he checked the clock, it was almost 11 in the morning. It was late morning, yet he felt like he hasn't slept in days. So he lay down on the couch, planning on taking a short nap and closed his eyes.

And ever so slowly, he drifted off to another nightmare. But even as he watched the dream, all he could see was blood.

Everywhere he looked, there was blood.

Her blood.

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><p><strong>Hehe, I know, I wrote the word blood a lot. Why do you think I named the chapter like that huh? Anyway, just wanted to say that most likely, I'm not going to update until next week. Hopefully, I have time to write a chapter during the week after doing my homework but the only reason why I updated so much this week was cause two of my teachers were absent for the week. If I have time after I do my Spanish then maybe I'll start writing the next chapter. But I'm planning to make the next one really... I don't know, dramatic I guess since my goal is to make what's going to happen to Wally by the end of the next chapter. Hopefully, it's gonna end up like that. Anyway, hope you liked and PLEASE REVIEW<strong>


	14. By My Hand

**Hey, wrote it really fast. Hope you like and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 14: By My Hand<span>

Robin shook Wally as hard as he could. He didn't even seem to notice that he was being touched. The Boy Wonder started to panic. After Wally had passed out in the park, Robin and Kaldur changed him into new shorts and left his shirt off since he was sweating like crazy. He was out for three days and they had all taken turns watching over Wally but the only time Artemis went out was to go to the toilet or shower in his bathroom. Whenever Zatanna or M'gann or anyone really brought her food, she would eat one fourth of it then just stare at Wally.

Robin wondered how Wally had even gotten to the living room. When he entered the room, he saw Wally and immediately tried to shake him awake while he was screaming. Sometimes, he would be screaming her name, sometimes it was just a jumble of nothing. And after he didn't want to wake up the first few times, Robin started shaking him harder. His wouldn't wake up. "KF! Wake up!" he yelled into the redhead's ear. Nothing. He just kept screaming and screaming.

So he tried a different approach. He ran to M'gann's room and knocked on it with his fist. A few seconds later, the Martian opened the door, her eyes looked sleepy but other than that, she looked fine. And with the look on Robin's face, he didn't even need to say anything, M'gann just flew at top speed to the living room. Once she saw Wally on the couch, she faced Dick who arrived a few seconds after her, "He won't wake up." He said, panicked.

This time, it was M'gann who tried waking him up, she shook him and even slapped his face. He just kept screaming while his head moved from left to right.

"Can you get into his head?" Robin asked from behind the couch.

At first, M'gann was actually shocked that Robin suggested that. He knew very well how she hated to look into people's mind without asking. But she couldn't very well ask Wally if she was allowed to. So the Martian nodded firmly and placed her hand on each side of Wally's head, steadying him.

Zap! M'gann quickly took her hands off of the speedster's head and fell backwards, hitting the floor. He was still asleep but M'gann was pretty much electrocuted.

Robin ran to her and helped her up, "Are you okay?" he asked.

She steadied herself, "Yeah, it wasn't strong but I was just a little shocked that's all."

"So what the heck happened?"

M'gann took another good look at Wally, he was sweating and his breathing was uneven, "His mind is… protected or something." She said, "Something's blocking his mind."

Robin's eyes widened behind his mask, "What?"

M'gann sighed, "I said―"

"I know what you said." He cut her off, "I was just…" he looked at hi best friend on the couch, "Can you still enter it though?"

M'gann's eyebrows pressed together, "I think so. It didn't feel that strong but it's going to sting a little."

"Look, I know I'm asking a lot but―"

"I'll do it." M'gann said firmly.

Robin looked at her then nodded.

M'gann walked towards Wally and slowly put her hands around his head once again. This time, when the electricity shot through her, she forced herself to stay still. It was stronger than before but she could handle it. Once the shocking stopped, she closed her eyes and looked into his mind.

_M'gann was standing on iron. A plate of iron. She looked in front of her, she was on the terrace of some sort of skyscraper or something tall anough to see a whole city because, in front of her, there was a huge city. It was dark already and the sun had set long ago. But even though there was no sun, there were lights everywhere, there were headlights of cars, there were lampposts along the streets, there were some dangling lights on the trees even. Then she realized a bit further, there was an arm in the middle of the road. Around the arc, the road seemed to go around it and then go straight again. She realized that there were also lights on the large arc. And she noticed that she'd actually seen that arc before. In person. A few months ago. Maybe half a year? She wasn't sure._

_Then she knew where she was. She and the Team had spent a few days before Christmas here along with Green Arrow._

_She was in the city of love._

_Paris._

_M'gann looked around her, she wasn't on a skyscraper. She was on the Eiffel Tower. She wondered how she didn't realize that sooner. The Martian was standing on a large iron platform, in the middle of it, there was a triangular tower, also made of iron, that went up maybe another good twenty meters or more and around the platform, there were bars, like a fence. M'gann walked up towards the edge. Her hands clutched the fence and she could feel the wind in her auburn hair. And although, it was summer, she could feel the cool breeze of the night between her arms and legs and on her face._

_She heard screaming. Well, it wasn't really a scream, more like someone fighting someone. M'gann turned around. She couldn't believe her eyes. They weren't even there before._

_In front of her, wearing their uniforms, Wally was hitting Artemis. And every time he did, Artemis had blocked every single punch or kick. Wasn't she supposed to? She knew pretty much every single martial art there was. The weird part was, she only _blocked_ the hits targeted at her. She never hit _back_. It was like she didn't want to hurt him._

_But when M'gann looked into Wally's normally bright green eyes, they weren't as bright, they were a dark shade of green and his pupils were constricted. The whole was so small that from a far, you couldn't even tell he had one. And the worse part, he didn't seem _care_ that he was hitting the love of his life. It was like he wasn't even aware that he was trying to beat her. His face showed no emotion whatsoever._

_The alien moved towards them and touched Wally's shoulder. Her hand went through him. It was like he was a solid and she was a hologram. M'gann stepped back, stunned. She tried calling his name, every time louder than the one before. But his eyes were focused on his prey. It was like he couldn't even hear her cry his name. He just kept trying to hit Artemis. But he could have just used his super speed to hit her. _Why doesn't he just use it_? M'gann thought._

_As she thought those very words, and emotionless version of Kid Flash had caught Artemis by the neck, strangling the archer. Ever so slowly, the redhead lifted her off the ground like she weighed nothing, but his grip just grew tighter and tighter. Artemis's hands were over Wally's hand around her neck, scratching it. But he didn't feel a thing. M'gann looked at Artemis; the archer's face was becoming a greenish color. She was slowly chocking to death._

_Then, the Martian noticed someone slowly appear beside Kid Flash. When the vision was clear enough, she could tell there were actually two people. One man, the other, a woman. M'gann gasped and turned into camouflage mode, putting her hand over her mouth. On the other side of Wally's arm was Sportsmaster, and beside him, Cheshire._

_Sportsmaster wore his usual hockey mask and in his right hand was a long silver blade. It was a dagger. Clean as can be, like if nobody had ever touched it before. He held it in front of Kid Flash while Cheshire just stood beside him, looking at them._

_Wally took the dagger with his free hand and looked at Artemis. Not just some look, but a real look, like he actually noticed that he was hurting her. M'gann didn't even know that he was capable of hurting her, even if this wasn't real; he was the most unreal _thing_ there. Sure, he's hurt Artemis when they broke up, but that was different, Artemis kissed another guy. Wally was hurt too. But this, this was another thing altogether._

_But then M'gann realized that Wally's gaze became softer, like the real redhead jokester he was. She took another good look at Kid Flash, she looked into his eyes, they kept dilating and constricting. Like if there was a war inside him, choosing whether to let the light come in or let it stay out. M'gann realized that he was at war. Just not with the light. But with himself._

_Wally's hands began to tremble and he closed his eyes hard and opened them again. His pupils were still going out of control. But for the first time since she'd entered Wally's mind, she began to feel hope. But almost as soon as it came, it was crushed as the green eyes began to constrict once again and there was no more softness in him._

_And he stabbed he stabbed her. Her being Cheshire._

_At the very last moment, Cheshire had pushed Artemis out of Wally's grip, making him stab her on the side. Cheshire put her hands over her open wound and kneeled onto the floor, blood pouring over her fingers._

M'gann opened her eyes, all of a sudden, the light from the ceiling was way too bright and she lost her balance and she fell on the floor once again. Robin helped her up again and they came to the couch. Wally opened his eyes and sat upright. Sweating, panting and shaking. He breathing and heartbeat was out of control, his under shirt and button down were soaking wet and he was shaking like he just came out of the Antarctic Ocean.

He didn't even seem to notice M'gann and Robin looking down at him. When he finally did look up, there were already tears on his cheeks.

It was at that moment M'gann shouted at Robin, "Robin!" she yelled, "Get him a new shirt now!" she looked at the boy with the shades, he didn't move, "Now!" she yelled again and this time, Robin went running towards Wally's room.

By that time, M'gann had already kneed in front of Wally, holding his knee but he flinched at the very touch of her, "D―don't to―touch m―me!" he yelled as more tears streamed down his face.

Wally's heartbeat was so loud he wouldn't be surprised if M'gann could hear it, "Ju―just don't―t." he begged.

M'gann pitied him, she was sure he had seen the same horrifying things that she did. Maybe worse, maybe he had seen it with his own eyes, the eyes of the emotionless, heartless Wally that was about to kill Artemis.

The Martian looked down at her own hands, only then did she realize that hers were also shaking. Not as much as his but she was shaking. She took a deep breath and slowly, she took Wally's hands into hers and at first, all he did was scream at her again although this time, she didn't move, her hand stayed where it was, trying to control Wally's shaking. "Wally," she whispered soothingly, "look, it's going to be alright, okay?" she wrapped Wally's head in her arms and stroked her wet hair over and over again. "I―I saw what you did," she said hesitantly, "it's going to be okay."

After a few more seconds, Robin came running back into the room, holding a white undershirt in his hands. He sat down on the coffee table and gave the shirt to Wally, he took it but just let it sit on his lap.

"What the heck happened?" Robin finally asked after a few moments.

Neither Wally nor M'gann answered him.

And really, Robin was getting tired of his best friend hiding things from him, "Wally, what the heck is happening to you? First you pass out in the park while you looked like you were having a seizure and now you fall asleep and all of a sudden you can't wake up?" Robin told him sternly but you could still hear the worry in his voice.

Wally gulped. Even if he wanted to, which he didn't, Wally had no idea how to explain it to him without going into cardiac arrest. So he looked down at his hands still incased in M'gann's.

Robin knew that the speedster wasn't going to say anything anytime soon so he decided to get something out of M'gann, "Miss M, what did you see?" he asked the Martian.

M'gann didn't look at Robin, she just stared at Wally, his sweaty hands in hers, "You don't want to know." She was able to mumble.

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><p>Robin pushed himself up, tired of getting nothing from either of them, "If you don't tell me, I'm going to tell Arty." He threatened.<p>

"No!" Wally yelled at the same time as M'gann.

And at that very moment, Robin knew that this was more serious than he expected.

Wally gulped hard and took a deep, shaky breath, "Okay," he said weakly, "lately, I've been having nightmares. All of them of Artemis." He looked at Robin and M'gann, they were both following, "And although in different situations in every one, she dies." He said. Both of the people in front of them looked surprised but not so much, "And when I wake up, I'm sweaty and panting." He sighed, "I always, always think that she's dead until I can actually touch her, make sure she's still here. And everyday, when I see her, I'm exremly relieved. That is up until the 3rd, and ever since, every time I see her or hear her, all I can see is her die all over again." Wally could feel M'gann's hands squeeze his.

"Okay," Robin said, "what happened right now?"

The redhead shrugged lightly, "Honestly, I'm not sure. That's never happened before."

"Only today?" Wally nodded. "And what was different exactly?" Robin asked.

"Well, first off, I've never been able to not wake up before." Wally said, "And this time," he paused and his hands shook even more than before, "I was going to kill her."

This got him, Robin's eyes grew behind his sun glasses and once he relaxed, "What do you mean 'going to'?" he asked.

But M'gann could tell Wally couldn't take it anymore, he was shaking even more, so this time, she was the one who answered him, "Cheshire pushed her out of the way." She told him softly.

"Wait, Cheshire was there?" Robin asked, even more flabbergasted than before.

M'gann answered for Wally once again, "Only at the end along with Sportsmaster."

"And what did they do?"

"He gave me a dagger." Wally said this time, "And I remember everything I did but I couldn't control myself." He looked at Robin straight in the eyes, trough the shades, "It was like I was being controlled." He paused, "And when Sportsmaster gave me the dagger, I could feel that I had to kill her. All the other times, she was either murdered, killed my natural causes and whatnot. But this time, she was going to die by my hand." He looked at his hand again, still wrapped by M'gann's, "I―I tried to fight it, I swear I did but then, I don't know, whatever was contoling me, it took over and if Cheshire hadn't pushed Artemis out of the way, she would have died."

M'gann's thumb rubbed the back of Wally's hand, trying to calm him down.

"And Cheshire?" Robin asked.

"He stabbed her on the side." M'gann replied.

Robin licked his lips, and looked around the room then stood up, "Okay, that's it. I'm telling the League and Arty." He said as he walked towards the exit.

"No!" Wally cried out, "No, please. I'm begging you." Wally said, "Don't tell anyone. I'll deal with it. And anyway, it was just a dream, Rob."

Now the Boy Wonder looked angry, "A dream?" he yelled, "You scared the heck not just out of me but out of Artemis as well back in the park! You were out cold for three days straight Wally!" he screamed, "You really think a dream can do that?"

"Look," Wally begged, "please, just don't tell her."

Robin stared at Wally and then did a 360° just for the hell of it then walked back towards Wally and crouched down beside M'gann. His left hand was on his thigh and he took off his shades with the other. M'gann stared at Robin and couldn't help but loosen her grip on Wally. Robin had just let her see him. She didn't know his name but now, she knew what he looked like.

But Robin didn't really care who saw him right now, he was too concerned about Wally, "One more time," he said as he pointed at the redhead, "one more time this happens and I'm telling the League. Okay?"

Wally nodded and lay back on the couch, letting go of M'gann's hands. He let out a shaky breath he didn't even know he held.

"You should rest." Robin said as he stood up and put back on his shades.

Wally shook his head, even if he wanted to, he couldn't risk having the same nightmare. "I'll just close my eyes." He said.

So he closed his green eyes but almost as soon as he did, he heard a familiar voice, "Help! Somebody, please help!" the voice said, he actually thought it was in his head at first but when he saw the look on his teammates faces, he knew something was wrong.

They ran to the training room, where the voice was, "Help!" it was a male voice, so familiar that Wally couldn't believe it until he saw it.

So when they entered the training room, they all froze because even if it was in front of them, it was pretty hard to believe.

In front of them, Red Arrow was smeared with blood everywhere, from head to toe. And in his arms, was a passed out Cheshire.

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><p><strong>So? Tell me what you think. I know, now Spitfire but whatever! Anyway, what did you think about 'Happy New Year'? I liked the episode but if Wally and Artemis don't come soon, I... I don't know what I'll do, probably cry. I already know that Aqualad is coming back so... Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	15. Terrified

**Hey! First off, I'm so freaking sorry for not updating this weekend! I knew I said I would but then on Saturday, I went out with my family for the whole day and my desk was filled with homework. Well, this is a pretty short chapter but I wanted you guys to know what happened to Jade. Hopefully, you guys don't think it sucks. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 15: Terrified<span>

Artemis opened her eyes. M'gann was shaking her so hard she was surprised she didn't wake up earlier. She sat up and looked at the other side of the bed. Empty. Her eyes grew wide with worry, "Where's Wally?" she could feel her heart pumping inside her chest.

She saw that she wasn't the only one who was worried, seeing the M'gann's face, she thought that was it. Something had happened when she fell asleep. She cursed, she knew she shouldn't have let herself take a nap. Then her thoughts became worse and worse as the Martian didn't say anything. No, she thought, he can't be.

Artemis could feel her lip tremble, "M'gann, what's wrong?" she said, with a mix of anger and concern.

Her teammate took a long deep breath and finally said what she was there to say, "Jade's in the infirmary."

She didn't have to say anything else; Artemis got up and ran as fast as she could towards the infirmary.

The archer opened the door, the first thing she saw; well first person she saw was Jade, lying on a bed, unconscious with a few wires, here and there. On the other side of the room, she saw Wally sitting on a loveseat, who lifted his head slightly as she came but went back to looking at his balled up hands. A small wave of relief washed over her but she wouldn't calm down. Something had happened to her sister and she didn't even know if she was okay.

What she didn't see right away was Red Arrow, sitting on an armchair, wearing his gear, all except his mask, revealing blue eyes, "She's going to be okay." It took Artemis a moment to realize that the voice came from Roy. It was so soft and it seemed to crack with every word.

Artemis couldn't help but ask, "What happened?" she blurred out.

Roy shrugged, "I don't know." He answered, "She's the one who knocked on my door. When I saw her, she was stabbed on the side bleeding like crazy." That got Wally's attention, but he looked down almost as soon as he lifted it up, "I brought her to the cave but she passed out even before we reached the zeta tube."

Artemis let out a shaky breath and walked towards Wally, but even before she sat down on the loveseat, Wally was already out of the room. _Nice way to treat your girlfriend_, she thought, _make her worry and once you prove yourself to be alive, just run away. _She was getting tired of it, ever since he pushed her away when they had kissed, she felt him slowly fade away.

The female archer laid her back on the comfortable seat and sighed, Roy stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

That went on for a while and then Artemis had finally had it, "What the heck are you looking at?" she asked as she sat up.

"You don't think that's weird?" he gestured towards the door, "Wally, I mean."

She bit her lip, "He's been acting like that lately." She shrugged it off but really, it hurt seeing him run away from her.

This time it was Roy's turn to sit upright, "What do you mean 'lately'? Are you saying this has been going on for days?"

Artemis bit her lip, she didn't even know why she was talking about her life with _him_. She barely even knew Roy. But in the end, it didn't seem like a secret or anything so she just nodded, "Yeah," she said, "It sort of started on the 3rd and then when we were in the park on the 4th he passed out. I didn't even know he woke up until I saw him two minutes ago." She explained.

"And you don't think that's weird?"

"Well, I don't know," she shrugged lightly, "I mean, I guess he needs some space or something?"

Roy rolled his eyes, "Please, he can't stay away from you." He told her, "You should have seen his face at the wedding; he couldn't take his eyes off of you. I don't think he could have if he tried. He loves you so much I don't think he would ever want to leave you for a second." She listened to him talk, it didn't make sense, Wally was pushing her away but Roy said that he loves her so much he wouldn't miss a second without her? But when Roy had said those words, they seemed so sincere.

She didn't know what to think anymore.

So she chose to ignore him.

Jade moaned as she put her hand to her forehead. She opened her eyes; she was on some sort of hospital bed. In a matter of a second, two figures were looking down at her; her vision was so blurry she knew that she would fall right away if she even tried to get up. She waited for her eyes to adjust and then she could make out the figure of her little sister. Jade sat upright, not caring if her head was about to explode and pulled Artemis into a hug. She tried to hold back the tears but found that it was useless. She couldn't hold them back.

Jade pulled away and cupped her sister's face in her palms; her thumbs whipped the tears of Artemis's cheeks and smiled at her.

Artemis's hair was still down and messy; she was still wearing her pajamas and looked tired as ever. "What the heck happened to you?" the archer asked her sister, completely ignoring Roy at the end of the bed.

Jade sighed and put her left hand on the left side of her waist and winced, "Dad," she simply said.

Artemis's eyes grew wide, "What did he do?" she asked frantically.

"He stabbed me on the side," she told her, "he used a dagger so it's not so deep."

"So you went to Roy?" Artemis cried out.

Jade pressed her lips together and looked away for a few seconds, "I didn't have anywhere else to go."

There was a long silence. It wasn't awkward but it was broken by Roy, "Martian Manhunter said you'll be fine. Sportsmaster cut an artery but no vital organs." He explained confidently, but no matter how hard he tried, his voice cracked.

Artemis sighed a little, "B―but why would he stab you?" she tried to hold back the next batch of tears. She didn't want Roy to see her cry.

Jade thought for a moment. She looked at her sister, "Who knows?" She lied.

* * *

><p>Jade opened her sister's book. Before Roy left, Artemis had brought it to her. She had said it was one of her favorite books. Which pretty much mean that it was a really good book since Jade had influenced Artemis into reading. Back when she was barely a teenager, she used to read everything. She liked it. With every different novel, she was in a different place in the universe. It erased all of her problems. Even if it was only when she was reading.<p>

It was a hardcover book and it was Artemis's, which pretty much meant that they were making money. Jade took that as a good sign. Hardcover book were always more expensive. She was actually surprised that they had enough money left just to buy _a_ book and didn't borrow it from the public library.

It was a sky blue color; on the cover were two clouds, one black, the other white. On them were the title and the author. _The Fault in Our Stars_ by John Green. Apparently, it was a love story. It was about this girl who had some sort of lung cancer or something who met this guy at a support group, who had used to have cancer too, only for him it was in his bones. After she falls in love with him, he tells her that he has cancer everywhere. By the end of the book, he dies.

Jade didn't normally break down or anything but she had a feeling this one would get to her. She opened the book and started reading.

By chapter 6, there was someone at her door. Wally walked up to her, standing on the right side of the bed. He didn't say anything but she closed the book and stared at him.

He was sweating a little and his normally bright green eyes darkened and looked panicked. "D―did I―" he tried to mumble but could find the strength to.

"Don't worry." She said, touching her wound on her side, "You didn't do it. Sportsmaster did." She reassured him.

"But―"

"Look," Jade cut him off, she was serious during the whole time she was talking, it reminded Wally of Artemis, and he couldn't help but make a face, "don't think those dreams are nothing." She told him firmly, "The Shadows need you for something. I have no idea what though, they only tell the highest ranks like our dad. They let me tag along last time, but they sort of kicked it up a notch. This time, you were the one who was going to kill her and they knew that that would get to you faster." Her dark eyes softened, "I couldn't let them do that to you. So I pushed her away. Don't worry. The dreams don't affect you physically so when we came out of your big head of yours, I was fine." She continued, "After what I did, Sportsmaster was going to kill me but decided not to. Instead, he stabbed me where you did in the nightmare and kicked me out so that I could freak you out or something" Wally stared at her while she talked and explained what had happened to her, the way she talked and her facial expressions, they were all Artemis. They were sister all right.

In fact, it reminded him _too_ much of Artemis and he couldn't help but flinch and look away once again.

Jade saw him and felt sorry for the redhead. She gently put a hand on his shoulder, which shocked both of them. She normally wasn't gentle. She was raised to erase that part of her. Yet, she knew deep down inside, she knew it was still inside her. Just like her sister. She just needed to fight for it to come back up. So she did.

Although she wasn't quite gentle as her sister, neither of them pulled away, "Fight it." Jade told him determinedly, "When it's time, we have to get Sportsmaster for the nightmares to stop. Until then, just fight it." She looked at him right in the eye.

Wally gulped, "And what if I fail?" he asked her sincerely, "What if I'm not strong enough to fight it?" the moment he said those words; he knew he sounded like a child.

But what else could you ask in this situation? And truth be told, he was scared out of his guts. He could barely look at Jade, much less her sister. He felt like such an idiot, he's _Kid Flash_, he's a superhero, he's supposed to be fearless. But right now, he felt like he was _terrified_ of the whole world.

Jade let out a deep breath, she really didn't want to scare the kid but he asked for it, "I don't know." She whispered.

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><p><strong>What do you guys think are going to happen next? Do you like Jade here? PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	16. Hope

**Hey, really sorry for the late updates. I hate it. I feel like I'm being mean to you guys or something. It's just that it's the third trimester (I have no idea how to say that in English) and I really need to study. Heck, I barely have time to read my books now a days! I've been cramped with projects and exams that I barely have time to write. And it really doesn't help that I live far from my school. So hopefully, you'll all be understanding and patient. Oh and did I forget to mention that my class has to perform for the end of the school party thing. We're doing acrosports (still have no idea what that is in English) and this Bollywood dance. And I'm pretty sure I'm just boring you with my life. So anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you guys like and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 16: Hope<span>

Artemis was standing in front of him, wearing black and yellow-orange colored gear, a black bow in hand and in her quiver, black arrows. Wally stared at her. No this was not Artemis. Not the Artemis he knew.

He took a step towards her, putting his arm in front of him, trying to reach her. But when he did, she took a step back and made a sound, something like a hiss. Wally looked at her eyes, they looked like her but the tiny drop softness that was in them was gone.

"Artemis." He whispered as he tried to take another step towards her but got the same result as before.

"Don't touch me." She said viciously, "And the name's Tigress."

Wally's eyes widened. Although the girl in front of him looked exactly the same, he knew she wasn't there anymore.

At the back of his head, there was a voice whispering to him, _she's a villain, Wally;_ it was Robin's, _a criminal. You know what to do..._

The redhead shook his head. The thought of killing a teammate, even a teammate turned bad would _never_ cross Robin's mind. _Never_.

Wally pushed the voices in his head away and looked at Artemis without shuddering, "What happened to you Arty?" he asked her softly, trying not to get her pissed off since she looked like she could put his head off with a simple neck-chop.

Tigress/Artemis grinned, although it wasn't her rare sweet smiled that she only let people see a few times but a small, sinister one, "Don't tell me you don't remember." She made a pouty face, "This," she gestured towards herself, "is because of you."

Wally was in his bedroom, in his house. Last night, he decided to go back to Central because he didn't want to wake up everyone again, e.i. Connor with his super hearing and partly because he didn't want to see Artemis again. At least not the way he did nowadays.

He was sweating and panting and his heart was racing like every morning for the past three weeks and a half. Although he got used to waking up disgustingly, he never got used to the speeding images in his mind. Ever since he's been seeing blood, he couldn't look at red anything anymore, sometimes; he even got startled looking at himself in the mirror when he saw his _orange_ hair or his costume.

The speedster went to the bathroom and wet his face over the sink. He looked at himself in the mirror and leaned on the sink. _Fight_, Jade had told him. How was he supposed to fight a battle he felt like he was doomed to fail?

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><p>"Jade!" Paula cried out, "Thank goodness you're alright." She hugged her eldest daughter and sighed.<p>

Jade hugged her mother but she couldn't help but feel a bit teary when she did. She hadn't hugged her own mother in years. After all that time, she finally felt like she had a mom again. She finally felt like a daughter again.

Artemis was looked at them from the corner of the room, she leaned on the wall and had her arms crossed in front of her. After a while, Jade and her mother started to talk and decided to leave them alone for a while and catch up with each other.

She entered the living room, Luke and Cassandra were already there, sitting on the couch, laughing. Artemis sat down beside Cassandra, who cut her hair and now had sideway bangs. The archer sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"Hey," Luke said once she was looking at him, "I hear what happened to Cheshire. I can't believe Sportsmaster would do that. To her own daughter." He said in disbelief.

"I'm just happy she got to Roy when she did." Artemis said, not believing she was actually thanking _Roy_.

"Yeah." Luke agreed.

Cassandra looked slightly confused then looked surprised, "Oh right!" she slapped her head like M'gann would, "I totally forgot she was working with you dad!" she cried out in realization, "I really need to learn these things. Anyway, Black Canary's going to start training me this afternoon."

Artemis smiled, she remembered the first time she came into the cave, she remembered how Wally tripped in his swimming trunks and looked like a complete idiot, not that he wasn't. "Are you nervous?" she asked Cassandra.

Sandie grinned slightly, "A little." She admitted, "But I'm also a little exited. I know the superhero business is risky and all but that's why I want to do it. For the risk. And it doesn't hurt that I get to save and kick people's butt."

This time, it was Luke who spoke, "Well, anyway don't worry, BC's amazing at teaching." He reassured his little sister.

"So," Artemis said, "have you been thinking about names?"

Cassandra shrugged, "I don't know. I can't really think of anything."

"What about _She-Striker_, huh?" Luke asked with a goofy grin on his face.

The blond archer raised an eyebrow, "She-Striker? I know she's your sis and all but really? You're going to name her after _yourself_?"

"What's wrong with She-Striker?" Luke asked, he could really be an idiot sometimes.

"Other than everything?" Artemis asked and Cassandra couldn't help but chuckle, then Artemis almost jumped out of her chair, "I have one! What about Jane Doe?"

Cassandra pursed her lips together, "I like it but what does that have to do with me? I'm not dead or anything."

"No," Artemis said, "you're new right? So nobody knows who you are. Jane Doe. And later on, you could like, train to be like a chameleon, learn how to blend in without anyone knowing who you are. Become a mystery." She explained, delighted.

Luke smiled, "She always was good a Hide and Seek." he teased.

Cassandra glared at him, although it was a brother-sister glare, then faced back to Artemis, "Sure. I'll think about it." Sandie told her.

Then at that very moment, Luke's watched buzzed, "Sorry," he checked his watch, "trouble at the park, Bats wants a few of us to check it out." He stood up, waved goodbye to the girls and left the room.

"Have you seen his costume yet?" Artemis asked Sandie as soon as Luke had left.

The other girl smiled, "How can't I? He's on TV like every other week and everyone's like 'who's the new guy?'."

Luke's costume was like a short sleeve version of Green Lantern's. Although, instead of black and green, it was black and red, there was no symbol on his chest and Luke wore is with the same mask as Red Arrow's. Even Artemis had to admit he looked kind of hot in it. Though, she'd never say that out loud. And either way, she wasn't into Luke. They were best friends. And that was it.

But before she got lost in thought, Cassandra shoved a sketch pad in front of her face. When she took it and looked at it correctly, she realized it was a costume.

In the corner of her eye, she could see Cassandra flush, "I sort of designed it but I mostly got the inspiration from Luke." She said her voice barely audible.

It was true though, it looked like Luke's costume. Although, instead of skin tight pants, they were mini shorts and instead of black, it was white and red with a black leather jacket and combat boots.

"What do you think?" said Cassandra's small and timid voice, she was cute like that, sort of like a little kid.

Artemis took another glance at the drawing and then looked that Cassandra, she smiled, which she did rarely enough to her teammates, much less the new girl and said "It's awesome." It wasn't a lie, it looked like it was drawn by and artist, and yet Cassandra Ausseil was just barely 16. "You'll look really bad-ass in it."

Sandie's blue-grey eyes lit up behind strands of her bangs and a smile appeared on her face, "Really? You think so?" Just by saying that, Artemis could tell Cassandra was the shy, yet outgoing type of girl. "I was sort of having second thoughts about the shorts," She said, "Luke's sort of overprotective," all of a sudden, her eyes looked almost sad, "at least that's how he was before he…" her voice cracked and her eyes became teary. Artemis couldn't blame her. She knew what it was like, to have someone you love disappear. The only differences between them was that Luke was caught while Jade left.

_No_, Artemis told herself, she wasn't going to think of that. Sometimes, she was scared that she would start blaming Jade for running away, for leaving. Leaving _her_. But no, she never did, she couldn't blame Jade for wanting to leave, and for actually doing so. Being raised by a criminal, and not just any criminal, but by Sportsmaster, was like trying to live through being dipped in lava. He trained them to kill and have no emotions, just like a programmed robot.

That wasn't even the worse part. The thing she regretted the most was that she did as she was told for years before finally reacting. Before it was too late.

"No, it's perfect." Artemis said, still deep in thought.

And anyway, how could she blame her sister for leaving when in the end, she also left. And unlike Jade, she actually went _against_ him, became the last thing she'd thought she'd be. A superhero.

Thinking back to it, she remembered that Luke, her best friend in the whole universe, never even mentioned his last name until they met Cassandra. When she found out about his family, she felt like one of the worst people in the world. As if I weren't already, she thought. She had been selfish. She didn't even think about Luke. How he thought about becoming a superhero or coming back to his family. She just jumped to the conclusion that he wanted to be like her. Evil turned good.

At least that's what she hoped she was. She hoped she was good. She hoped so bad that she wasn't evil. She hoped that she wasn't that girl anymore. That was the only thing other than her team, her mother and Wally that was keeping her together. Hope.

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><p><strong>What do you think? I know, nothing happened here but I really like the Hope part and I was looking for a chapter title anyway. And what do you think about Cassandra's name? I'm just suggesting, I have no idea what I want to name her. Jane Doe just popped into my head when I was thinking about I Am Number Four (book)'s character Six. If any of you have suggestions, just review it or something! Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	17. A Promise To Love Unconditionally

**So, here's an early update. This chapter is mostly a memory and I hope you guys like it :) And something happened to Wally in the end, I don't know if you'll get it though. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 17: A Promise To Love Unconditionally<span>

Artemis gave back the sketch pad to Cassandra.

A year and a half ago, she would have laughed at herself for even thinking the word hope. Hope. Hope was a fairytale. Hope was a myth. It wasn't real. Not to her. At least, not until she joined the Team, actually, it even took her months to tell herself that there was such a thing.

But it was also dangerous. And she knew that. It could make you happy all you want, make you believe in anything. But what happens if Hope is wrong? You're crush. Crush by the freaking sky. That was the scary part.

Then she remembered how she overcame that part. How she had shoved it to the very bottom of her brain. Wally. He believed in her. He believed in her even when she didn't believe in herself. He was her hope.

And that was because he was always there for her. That is, until a few days ago.

Artemis looked at Cassandra, who was still looking at her sketch pad, "Sandie?" she asked.

"Mhh?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow but she didn't look up from her notebook.

"Can I ask you something?"

Cassandra added a loose belt on her design, "Sure, ask me anything." Now, she was looking at the archer.

Artemis gulped a huge lump in her throat, "Do you think that Wally's been avoiding me?" she blurred out.

Cassandra looked shocked and confused at the same time but both for the same reason, "Why the heck are you asking me that?"

The blond girl licked her lips, "It's just…" Artemis looked away and realized there was a strand of hair hanging in front of her, she put it behind her ear, the way Wally would have if he were there, "Every time I try to talk to him, or even go near him, he flips out. He thinks I don't know it but I was raised to become an assassin, a spy." She had never had a conversation so deep with someone she barely knew. "I think he's been avoiding me. Do you have any idea why?"

Cassandra still looked shocked, "No, but, now that you mention it, yesterday, we asked Wally what happened to Cheshire. And once we mentioned you, he totally freaked out and then went home without another word."

Something was happening to him, and he couldn't even tell her. His confidant, the whole time they were together, and the times where they were just close friends, they told each other how they felt, whether they said why or not.

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><p>Wally decided to go for a jog, which he hadn't done since he could remember, he normally just ran everywhere he went. But he just wanted to jog, to slow down a bit, like he wanted to slow time as well.<p>

He changed into his gym clothes, although instead of his CCHS (Central City High School) he put on his Gotham Academy sweatshirt and ran towards his old high school. Within seconds, he was on front of Gotham Academy. The place where he spent just a few months at, and yet, he met so many people there.

The redhead turned around and jogged in Gotham Park. It was pretty big; it was actually bigger than Central Park. So he jogged for what felt like minutes but was actually hours.

The sun was just about to set when he arrived at the willow tree. _Their_ willow tree.

Wally could feel his heart pound. His red hair was wet and his legs ached. He slowly walked towards it. He touched it lightly. He and Artemis had always loved that spot. He remembered the first time they stayed there, how he had pulled her and they had accidentally kissed. Ever since, that had become their place.

The wind was always moved the leaves, making the view always so beautiful. The long branches and leaves also gave them a bit of privacy.

He sat down on the floor and leaned on the tree. It felt so relaxing to be back there. Yet, at the same time, it was strange, not being with Artemis. Then he remembered something, he turned around and surprisingly, it was still there.

He touched it; he remembered when he had carved that. He had actually used Artemis's army knife that she always kept in her boot (apparently, it was a Shadow thing).

_She was already there, sitting on the grass, her legs were folded. Her chin was resting on her knees as she was staring at the leaves of the willow tree slowly flow in the wind and so was her tied blond hair. He sat down beside her, realizing she wasn't actually looking at the leaves but into the distance._

_He put an arm around her shoulders, "What are you thinking about?" he whispered into her ear._

_She let out a shaky breath, "I―I just…" Artemis sighed; she couldn't even make a complete sentence! And she let go, she buried her head on his shoulder and cried. It was still when they were still newly dating. He was still getting used to her opening up to him._

_He wasn't really sure what to do at that point so he just rubbed her back and let his head lean on hers. He could smell her hair. Vanilla. Sweet and simple._

Wally thought back on that day, that was actually the very first time he smelled her hair. The first of many. And no matter how many times he did, it always smelled like vanilla.

"_What's wrong Arty?" he asked once she calmed down a bit._

_The blond archer pursed her lips, "It's just that, well, I'm scared." She mumbled, "I'm scared that I'm going to mess things up."_

_Wally put on a little smile, "And why would you think that?" he asked, "_I'm_ the accident prone in this relationship." _Relationship_. That was a heck of a word. He had never used it in that way when it came to Artemis. For months, they were at the same time teammates and 'enemies'. And just about a month or two ago, they _officially_ became friends. Everything was just moving so fast._

_Just like now, _Wally thought as he remembered that nervous feelings he got whenever he was around her. Actually, he always got that nervous feeling when she was around, whether he was avoiding her or not.

_Artemis slapped Wally's chest. "You know what I mean."_

"_No, I don't." he wasn't lying; he had no idea what she was talking about._

_Artemis looked like she was going to cry again, "I'm going to mess this up. I'm going to mess _us_ up. I just know it." She said, "I'm going to hurt us, myself and most of all, I'm going to hurt you."_

He didn't regret not listening to her. She _did_ hurt him. But wasn't that what he was doing to her right now? He was ignoring her. He was trying to get away from her even when all he wanted not even a month ago was to be with her. To have her in his arms.

Now he couldn't even look at her without seeing her blood everywhere. Without wincing.

_Wally used his index finger to make Artemis look at him, they were so close that they could feel each other's breaths. _

_Their foreheads were touching, they never were the classical couple type but they did it anyway, "Artemis Crock," he started, "No matter how much you push me away, no matter how many times you punch me or kick me, no matter how many times you break my heart, even if we're halfway across the world, heck even if we were halfway across the universe, I will always be there with you and for you." he whispered the last part, "I will always, always love you."_

_Artemis bit her lip, "How do I know that you're not just saying all of this?" she asked._

_Then he pulled her chin towards him even more, "This." And he kissed her. At that time, they still weren't used to kissing yet. But this time, it was different. It lasted a few seconds but it pretty much said everything._

_It was a promise._

_Once they parted they were staring at each other. Her grey eyes softened and he could see the relief in her eyes._

_All Wally could do was smile, and then he took her hand while the other slipped inside of her left boot and pulled out her army knife. He squeezed her hand. "And if you forget, I'm always going to be here to remind you." He whispered, his voice was husky, "And if you don't believe me…" _

_Wally faced the tree. Once he was done, he faced her and let her see what he had carved._

The speedster opened his eyes, he hadn't even realized that he had closed them. The sun had set already and the only light came from the plaza, dozens of meters away from where he was and a few lampposts not too far.

And before he knew it, the last thing he remember were the words of a promise he had made a few months before:

_To my fallen angel, Artemis Crock, forever, I will love you unconditionally._

―_Wally West_

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><p><strong>What do you think? Corny? Yes, very, I know but I really like corny :)) PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	18. Emotions Of A Month

**Hey! Early update. I studied for a test then I finished early and then I started writing and finished this is less than four hours. And to the reviewer Keepmovingforward2, here's a little explanation: Wally and Artemis went out in January, Feb and March, they broke up end of March. Three months later (in end of June), they become a couple again. They date for three weeks then Wally turns all psycho. And now, we're here. And for those who don't get the 'fallen angel' thing, it's sort of like a metaphor, Artemis was always an angel but she was raised by Sportsmaster, which makes the angel turn evil, meaning, she fell. And even though she's all superhero now, she'll always be a fallen angel because, that's how she is. She's not mean or anything, but she's broken, lost. So yeah, hope this helps understand :) Hehe so here's a really emotional chapter, hope you guys like and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span> Chapter 18: Emotions Of A Month<span>

Artemis woke up on the couch of her sister's 'hospital' room. Her mother wasn't there, Artemis had insisted that she went home and gets some rest while she stayed. It took Artemis almost half an hour to convince Paula but in the end, she went home.

She looked at the bed; the room was dark except for a lamp that shined over Jade, who seemed to be reading the book Artemis had lent her. Her cheeks looked went and then Artemis realized that she was crying. The last time she saw Jade cry was when the villain was 10, when their father slapped Artemis on the cheek for buying lollipops for them. Jade had defended her sister and they both ended up crying. The bruise lasted for over a month.

Sometimes, when the archer looked in the mirror, she thought that it was still there.

Artemis stood up and sat down on the bed beside Jade, whose eyes didn't leave the page she was reading. "You're blocking the light." She said softly. Artemis backed up a little so that she wasn't blocking the light anymore. "Thanks."

Cheshire wiped her cheeks and sniffed. "Were you crying?" Artemis asked with a light chuckle.

"It's just so sad, okay?" she yelled with a small sob.

The archer chuckled again and smiled, that was her exact reaction when she read the book.

Although Jade still had tears in her eyes, she couldn't help but smile as well. It wasn't her usual sinister one but it was genuine. It was caused by happiness. Artemis hadn't seen her smile since they were about 8 or 9. After Sportsmaster banned them from making friends or anything of the sort, she had stopped laughing. Soon enough, she stopped smiling.

"I haven't seen you laugh since I left." Jade said as she closed the blue book.

Artemis grinned, for once since her sister left; they were actually acting like loving sisters. She missed that. She missed it when they would defend each other, protect each other. "I missed this." She blurred out, "I miss you." She couldn't help but feel teary.

Cheshire smiled and pulled Artemis in her arms and hugged her. Artemis was stiff at first; it felt so alien to be hugging her. Then remembered when they used to hug and reassure each other and hugged her back. "I miss you too baby sister." And Artemis cried on her shoulder.

She hated herself for that. She was raised not to cry, to feel no emotion. And these days, she's been breaking down more and more. Then she realized that Cheshire was sobbing as well and her shoulder was become wet. Artemis tightened her grip on Jade.

"I'm so sorry." Jade whispered into her ear after a quick sob, "I am so sorry. And I promise, this time, I'm not leaving."

Artemis gulped; it wasn't until then that she realized how much she wanted an apology from Jade. She wanted to know she regretted leaving her behind. The archer still didn't blame her though, she just wanted to know that Jade cared that she had hurt her.

The blond let out a shaky breath, "You have no idea what that means to me, Jade." She said, "But you have to know that I don't blame you."

"Thank you," the older sister whispered, "for understanding."

"Thank you," Artemis replied, "for coming back."

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><p>Kaldur and Zatanna entered the living room, where Artemis was watching TV. They both sat down on the couch and the archer asked if they had seen Wally.<p>

"No I have not." Kaldur answered her.

Zatanna shrugged, "Sorry, I have no idea where that idiot went."

That worried Artemis. She hasn't seen Wally in almost three days and he hasn't talked to her since 4th of July. Artemis ended up asking everyone at the cave, she came back to Jade's room and Roy was sitting on the couch, half asleep.

"Jade," she said, "have you seen Wally?"

The assassin raised her head from her new book, "Wally? The redhead?" Jade asked.

The blond nodded.

"The boyfriend?" Jade grinned goofily.

Artemis stomped her foot on the floor, "Jade!" she cried out, "Cut it out!"

"Well, I've been stuck in this room for almost three days." Cheshire replied, "Does it look like I've seen him?"

"Did you check his house?" It took Artemis a few moments to realize the one who was talking was Roy.

"No but I'll ask his mom."

"You're welcome." He mumbled and drifted off to sleep.

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><p>"Hello?"<p>

"Hey Mrs. West, its Artemis, by any chance, is Wally there?" she asked through the phone.

"Oh, hello Artemis." Wally's mom answered at the other end of the line, "No, he's not here. He didn't come home last night after he went for a run. I just assumed he stayed at the cave."

Artemis felt her heart beating harder and harder by the second. This was not happening to her.

"Artemis?" Mrs. West interrupted her thoughts, "Is everything all right?"

The archer gulped, she didn't want to worry her. But was she supposed to do? Lie to her?

But that was exactly what she did, "Yeah, I'm at my house right now I and I forgot that he asked me to meet him there." Wow, that was about the worse lie she's ever said in her own entire life. And yet, for 15 years of her life was a lie. And from time to time, she even doubted this past six months of her life was a lie.

She hung up and immediately ran towards the training room. There, Robin was training with Connor while Cassandra was training with M'gann. Once they saw her, they stopped and walked towards her.

M'gann was the first one to reach her, "Artemis what happened?" Did she really look that horrified? She really didn't even need to open her mouth.

"Wally," she gulped, "I can't find him anywhere," she said quickly, "He's not in the cave, he's not in his house and his mom said he didn't come home."

Robin put an arm around Artemis, "Arty, are you sure you're not just overreacting?"

"Does it look like I'm overreacting?" she snapped, "He won't answer his phone and he didn't come home! What am I supposed to think?"

Connor tried to step in, "Calm down, Artemis."

"Shut up!" she yelled, the archer had no idea what had gotten into her, "You're not the one with the missing boyfriend!"

Black Canary came into the room and saw the teenagers, "What on earth is going on here?"

Artemis fell to her knees and out her face in her palms. It looked like she was sobbing but really, she didn't shed a tear.

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><p>"I'll call the League right away." Dinah said after Robin explained what had happened and went towards the computer.<p>

Connor was about to carry Artemis and bring her to her room when the blond stood up and ran away on her own.

Artemis didn't really know where she was going. She just ran. Then when she stopped, she realized she was in front of her sister's room. She entered and Jade saw the look on her face.

"What happened? Where's your boyfriend?" Cheshire asked.

Artemis sat down beside her sister, "He's missing. His mom said he didn't come home last night."

Jade's eyes grew wide for a second. But Roy, who was still on the couch, saw the shock on her face, "Cheshire? Do you know something about this?"

The black haired girl stared at nothing for a moment, "Jade?" Artemis asked. No, she had to tell her what was going on. She didn't want to lie anymore, especially not her sister. So Jade told them everything she knew about the Shadows' plan. How they had controlled the redhead's mind for a month. How they tortured him in his sleep. How she got really stabbed to scare him off. Once Jade was done, she could tell from the look on Artemis's face that she was shocked and angry at the same time.

She didn't blame her; she would have probably reacted the same way.

Roy was now standing up across the bed, his blue eyes shining with concern. "And how come you didn't mention this earlier?"

Jade bit her lip; it was a habit of hers, "I did actually." She said, "I told Wally. I warned him."

"And you didn't tell us?" Artemis cried out, she didn't want to raise her voice at her sister the same day they made up but this was valuable information. How could Jade not have told them? Her?

Jade looked at her sister, her eyes were pleading for her forgiveness, "I'm sorry but the Shadows planned all of this. They knew that if I told you, the League would have done something. They were prepared for an attack." She explained, "I thought that if I warned Wally, if I told him the truth, he could fight it." She looked at her sister again, "For you."

There was a short silence between the trio but in the end, it was Roy who ended it, "And you don't know anything else, at all?"

"Like I said," Jade told them, "they only told the highest ranks. Trust me, I may be important, but it doesn't mean I'm very trustworthy."

"And what about now? How do we know you're not just leading us into a trap?" Roy asked. They could hear the anger in his voice.

Jade sighed, "You don't have to." She said, "But then, it will be too late for Wally."

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><p>A month. That's how long it's been since he disappeared. Eventually, the League had to tell the West family. They were devastated. They weren't the only ones. Soon enough, Alex, Alice and Amy worried about her not coming along on their outings. Her friends already knew that she and Wally were back together but hasn't seen him since he transferred school. So she decided to tell the twins, since they already knew about her and Wally's secret identities but not the rest of the Team. But then, it ended up being all complicated and she ended up telling them, including Amy this time about Megan being Miss Martian, Connor being Superboy, etc. The only thing she did leave out was Robin's secret identity.<p>

Artemis had never felt so lonely in her entire life. Not when she was in the Shadows, not when she was lying to the Team, but now. She had spent three months without him, but that was different, he had broken up with her, he had told them where he was going. They knew he was safe.

Now, they didn't know if he was alright or hurt, they didn't even know if he was still alive.

On the first night of that month, she screamed. She screamed and yelled and cursed and cried and broke furniture and windows and mirrors and she didn't care. She didn't care who saw her this time. She didn't care if she was being weak. She didn't care if she was being a wimp. She didn't even care about the broken things since she knew the League would pay for them. And they would pay for them why? Because they pitied her. But she didn't care what people thought of her. She only cared about one thing, getting him back. She just wanted to get Wally back. That's all she cared about. That night wasn't the last. It went on like that for almost a week. She ended up losing her voice, making her screams broken and disoriented. But she cried until she finished that week. During that week, she had expressed all the emotions she felt. About her childhood, about her life, about everything. But she didn't even need to scream what she felt when it came to Wally, it was written all over her eyes. Even though her eyes were always dark, they have never been that upset before. That's how they could tell she was really in pain. Even when the speedster had broken up with her, she had never been that upset.

So for a week, everyone but mostly Paula, Luke and Jade had tried calming her down. They knew it was useless, she was in pain. And no one but Wally could give her joy again. They knew that. But still, they tried. They hugged her, so tight just so that she would break another mirror. Or worse, maybe even take her own life away.

After that, Artemis has been avoiding people, any kind of people.

After that week, she didn't cry. She didn't cry or break down or smile or laugh or showed any kind of emotion.

And one late afternoon, Artemis had just finished a day of training and was on her way home. The archer decided to pass by Gotham Park. Then saw a willow tree. It wasn't theirs though, this one was small and new while theirs was big and mighty. She walked towards it. She touched the wood lightly, like if it were made of glass. She slide her fingers across the wood, searching for the carved promise. But as she already knew, it wasn't there. Then, she forgot all about the tree being made of glass, the blond leaned on it and cried. For the first time in almost another month, she had cried. Showed emotion.

And before she could wipe off the tears, she was being held against the tree, hard hands around her throat, carrying her off the ground. Artemis opened her eyes and saw another pair of familiar eyes staring at her. Then she realized the eyes were a green emerald color.

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><p><strong>*INSERT EVIL LAUGH* So? Was it sort of too obvious? Please tell me what you think and PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	19. Tired

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Nothing really happens here but I'm kind of busy right now so I just wrote this chapter. Sorry, no spitfire here. But hopefully, there will be soon. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 19: Tired<span>

At first, all Artemis could do was stare at him, not caring if Wally was slowly killing her. She just stared. She looked at his eyes. They were angry. And yet, she could see the touch of pain it caused him.

For the first time in her life, her training didn't kick in. All she could do was claw at Wally's hand around her neck. "_Wally_." She was able to mumble.

And for just a millisecond, Wally loosened his grip on her neck and his green eyes softened, but only for a millisecond. After that, he growled at her like an angry guard dog.

Then out of nowhere, Wally was on the floor. It took Artemis a moment to see two figures, now in the dark; she could just make out the colors of the clothes they were wearing. They were both wearing red and black but the patterns of their outfits were different. Then she realized that they were her teammates.

Striker was in a fighting stance while Aqualad was holding onto his water-bearers.

Wally was just about to stand up when Artemis realized Striker had given him a nasty turning long kick on the face. Wally whipped of the blood from his mouth. He was wearing a suit similar to his old one but the symbol on his chest was gone, the bright yellow and red colors were gone and replaced with black and grey and he wasn't wearing a mask.

The redhead used his super speed to punch Striker but at the last minute, he dogged it by jumping by the trunk of the tree and making a back flip and landed beside Artemis.

He was in his fighting stance once again and was bouncing on the spot, "You okay?" he asked her, not taking his eyes off of Wally.

Artemis nodded hesitantly. How was she supposed to be okay when the boy you love, who's been missing for a month was trying to kill her?

And as Wally was ready to hit Aqualad this time when a voice stopped him, "Enough," said a voice behind a bush. Wally stood up straight as soon as he heard the command. Aqualad looked confused. But Striker knew the voice too well, it was the voice of the man who took away over three years of his life, anger filled him. Artemis could see it on his face, how could she blame him? She had grown up with that very man and controlled her life ever since she was born. She never blamed her sister; she never blamed her mother, or Luke or anyone else. She only blamed two people for what she was. Herself and her father.

Sportsmaster walked out of the bushes, calm and confident but the teenagers didn't move; they just stared at him.

They could feel the villain smile behind his mask. "Hello Luke. Or should I say the new infamous Striker? I've seen you've betrayed us, just like my daughter." Striker glared at him. He never liked being a Shadow. He was actually thinking about committing suicide a few times but Artemis had always managed to stop him.

Sportsmaster seemed to be pleased with Luke's reaction, "I'm sorry to intrude, but my new apprentice and I have to get going." He said, as he stepped back into the Shadows.

When the 3 superheroes looked at where Wally was, he wasn't there anymore.

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><p>"And you're sure it was him?" Robin asked as he paced the training room.<p>

The whole Team was there, including Cassandra. Cassandra had actually skipped her vacation with her friends, too devastated to go when she found out about Wally. She didn't tell any of them though, she knew she would just bring everyone trouble. She had been training everyday for a month and was catching up fast. Luke had told Artemis it was because she was determined to become a superhero, for Wally. She had changed a lot in a month, she was even taller than before and had become more muscular, her hair became even more lighter, becoming more and more blond, and she had gotten a haircut, her hair reached her mid-back and had gotten sideward's bangs just a day before Wally disappeared.

Robin had also grown over the past month but he looked tired. Day and night, he trained and looked for any sign of his best friend. Actually the whole Team looked tired. They were always training, they had no idea what the Shadows were capable of now and during their spare time, and they were looking for their missing friend.

Artemis nodded hesitantly for the second time that night. It looked like Wally, it was the same emerald green eyes but his actions weren't his.

"And you're saying that he attacked you?" Robin asked, still not believing what he had just heard, after the attack, Aqualad, Striker and Artemis went back to the cave and told everyone what had happened.

"He was strangling Arty, Robin." Striker said as he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, "Something's not right Rob. He's not himself."

Aqualad nodded, "I agree with Striker. He was not acting like the teammate we once knew."

Artemis didn't say anything the whole time. She just nodded from time to time but other than that, she just stayed away from people.

Robin stopped pacing and sighed, "It's worse than we thought. Since when have the Shadows been able to control people?"

No one answered of course. So Robin just nodded to himself, turned around and tapped something on the computer.

The whole Team looked like they hadn't slept in days, which was most likely the truth. Aqualad looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up. He was that tired; he was in charge of everything and had barely slept for a week. Miss Martian was still smiling but anyone could tell that she was also very worn-out. Zatanna was out of energy, using all the spells she knew and learned new ones to try to track Wally, none of them worked though. Superboy was the already half asleep while Striker was one of the most exhausted. The week before that, he actually did collapse. After that, Black Canary and Red Tornado made him take it down a notch and he was assigned to '_bed rest_', which for him was suspension. After his two days of suspension, he was up to his old tricks. Cassandra looked the less tired, it didn't mean she wasn't though; she was tired all right, just not as much as the others. That was mainly because The Justice League didn't allow her to go on the field or stay late nights since she was the one with the most training. And sometimes, Zatanna actually caught Robin sleeping behind his shades.

Kaldur stepped in before anyone else said anything, "Alright. It is getting late and we should all get some sleep." Lie, it was barely 8 in the evening and either way, they all knew they weren't going to stop looking for Wally, especially when they were so close. But nobody argued, "You are dismissed." Kaldur ordered and left them first and went towards his room, probably to take a two hour nap then back to work.

After him, Robin accompanied Zatanna to her room, and then M'gann left with Connor behind her. The only ones left in the room were Cassandra, Striker, who was still in his suit and Artemis.

Striker took off his mask and exhaled a deep breath, "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked Artemis. He was always worried about her. Although she never talked to anyone anymore, she participated in _all_ of the searches parties they had.

Artemis gulped, "I'm fine." She replied. Luke knew that was not the case but she didn't force her on anything. He knew all she needed was space. And Wally.

Cassandra took a few light steps towards Artemis and put her hand on the archer's shoulder, "If you need anything, just me a call, kay?" she said and then turned to Luke, "I'm going to head home. You coming along or are you staying here the night?" she asked her older brother.

For the past month, Luke's been sleeping at his house and the cave, just like Artemis and Robin, and Wally, if he were there. "I think I'll stay the night. Tell mom and dad I'll come home tomorrow." Luke told his younger sister.

Cassandra nodded lightly, "Good night, Arty, Luke."

"Night, Lil' Cee." That was Luke's nickname for her and they both smiled. She passed through the zeta tube leaving Luke and Artemis in the training room.

Luke faced Artemis and put his hands on his hips, "So, you want to talk about it?" he asked her gently.

Artemis blew her small strands of hair that were over face then shook her head.

Luke licked his lips; he's been trying to get her to open up since Wally first disappeared. They all tried to get her to talk about her feelings. But the Shadow life came back to her and her wall was back up, and it was bigger and stronger than ever. And Luke knew that the only person who could break it was missing.

He yawned, damn he was tired, "Come on, I'll walk you to your room."

Artemis hated that. For the past month, they were all 'looking out for her'. Every night, someone would walk her home or to her room and they would never leave her alone. She guessed it was because they thought she might do something reckless but she never complained. She knew that if it was the other way around, she would have done the same thing. And it was nice to know that people cared so much that they would bring her everywhere.

The arched lifted her arms up and put them to level with Luke's shoulders, "Please?" she asked sleepily. She knew her best friend was tired and she felt guilty for doing so but before she could put her arms back down, Luke was already carrying her like she was some hostage.

Luke never protested when Artemis asked him to carry her to her room, he was beyond tired but Artemis used _all_ of her time to look for Wally. So if he was beyond tired, he couldn't even image what Artemis was going through. In the hallway, on their way to her room, he could feel his back get a bit wet and heard a sob. He didn't say anything though. As far as he knew, it was the first sob she'd let out in three weeks so he didn't say anything.

Once in her room, he laid her on her bed and put the covers over her. Although he never turned on the lights, he could see the shininess of the tears on her cheeks. The right side of mouth curled up, "Night Bestie." He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. But not before looking back at the sleeping Artemis.

* * *

><p>"We need to make a plan of attack." Artemis heard Robin say as she entered the training room. The whole Team was there along with Red Arrow, Cheshire and Jane Doe. Robin was in front of screen, his back facing towards it.<p>

Artemis took a few steps forward, "I see you guys didn't bother waking me up for the briefing." Artemis said as she put her hands on her hips. She said it the same way she would have a month ago but there was a slight crack in her voice, a doubt maybe and the glare in her eyes weren't as strong as before. It looked strong, yes but there was something else, something she was hiding. Confusion. Scared. Pain.

Robin looked at her and the whole Team turned around to look at her. They all looked tired like every day for the past month but she could tell they had a few hours of sleep at the very least.

"Good morning, Artemis." Kaldur said politely, "Robin was just re-briefing us on the events that occurred last night." Artemis nodded and placed herself beside M'gann and Zatanna.

As she took her place, Robin continued, "So, as I was saying, this morning, I narrowed down a few locations on where the Shadows could be hiding." He turned around and tapped a few things on the computer. A map appeared on the screen and then a few dots appeared on it. Madrid, Rome, Gotham, Paris, Los Angeles, Central City and others were mark with circles.

Robin faced the Team again, "In a few days, maybe a few weeks, I'll be able to narrow it down. But for now, we'll check some of them out." He looked at the Team, concentrating hard, "Aqualad, SB, Cheshire and Red Arrow, you guys check Central City. Zee, Striker Miss M and I will check out Gotham. Luke and I get Gotham because we know it best."

Artemis wasn't assigned to anywhere so she guessed she wasn't _on_ the mission. She didn't complain although someone else did.

Jane Doe was the only one who looked upset among the teenagers, "Uh, hello?" she said as she removed one of her hands from where they were a few moments ago, her hips, "What am _I_ supposed to do?" she said, annoyed.

They all looked at her, not quite sure what to say. She just rolled her eyes, "I get it. I don't get to go on the mission. Am I not right?" Everyone looked at her apologetically, even Cheshire, Roy and Superboy.

Before Robin could say anything, Aqualad cut in, "She can come with us. I know that she is very familiar with Central City."

"Well, that's pretty much because I live there." Jane Doe pointed out, although it sounded more like a question.

Robin nodded, "Fine, just don't let her out of your sight." Aqualad nodded in agreement.

They started to gear up when both Robin and Striker came towards Aqualad. They were whispering about something, Artemis heard they say the name Jane once or twice. Striker was probably being his usual overprotective brother self while Robin was most likely making sure Cassandra didn't die on her very first mission.

Aqualad, Jane Doe, Cheshire, Superboy and Red Arrow were the first ones to leave the cave via zeta tube.

And right before the second team left, Robin turned back towards Artemis.

He looked sort of nervous, "Uh, Arty, do you… I don't know, do you want come along? It's just a short mission anyway." He said, feeling sorry for the archer, "But if you like, you can come along."

Artemis looked at Robin doubtfully; the only missions she actually went on for the past month were ones that involved looking for Wally.

She closed her tired eyes and let out a deep shaky breath, she opened them again and her dark grey eyes met the masked blue eyes of Robin, "I'm in."

* * *

><p><strong>So, you guys wondering what's going to happen in the next chapter? Well, guess what? So am I! So please be patient for the next chapter. I really need to work on my grades (even though I got the highest grade in Chem :D). And the Turning Long Kick is my best kick ;)) Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	20. This Is Bad

**Okay, today's the start of me five day weekend and hopefully I'll be in a writing mood the whole time so that I could update more. So here's a small chapter. Sorry, still no Spitfire. Maybe next chapter or the one after that, but for now, it's just... BAD XD Hope it's not too disappointing and PLEASE REVIEW!  
>PS: I got 1520 in Biology ;) (That's actually a good grade for my school and that's the grade I normally get anyway, well except for last time but watevs!)**

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><p><span>Chapter 20: This Is Bad<span>

Artemis crouched beside Robin on the roof of a building, looking through the skylight. They had found one of the Shadow's factories in the North side of Gotham, a few miles away from the nearest house.

_Robin_, Aqualad said through Miss Martian's telepathy, _we just found a warehouse full of weapons._

_Okay, can you try to get some information about anything? _Robinreplied_, we just found some sort of factory. We asked Artemis and Striker if they knew anything about it. They said the Shadows never had a factory, at least not that they knew about. We're going to try to find out what they're manufacturing._

_Copy, _Aqualadtold them_; let's meet at the cave once we're finished._

_Alright. Meet you there._

"So," Robin said in a low whisper to Artemis, "what do you think they're doing with a factory?"

Artemis shrugged, she had barely paid attention to their mental conversation, she couldn't stop thinking about those green eyes looking at her with anger and pain all at the same time, it sent shivers down her spine. "I don't know. The Shadows don't really _make_ anything. They just fight and train all the time, making mischievous plans and all. But they never manufactured their own stuff." She said, "Just lazy, I guess."

Miss Martian was in the Bio-ship, hovering over them and the building while Striker and Zatanna were hidden in the bushes on the ground, checking for anything suspicious.

Robin sighed; he really didn't want to do any missions. He was exhausted and wanted to use his energy on locating Wally but this was the first lead they had in a month. After his best friend disappeared, Cheshire had told them everything she knew about the Shadows' plan. That was the time he and M'gann decided to tell the Team that she had actually witnessed the most horrifying one of them. Artemis was too upset to scream at them for not telling her before but once the week passed, she had erased all emotions.

Robin laid his hand on the glass, "We're going to have to go in." he told her and all she did was nod.

_Striker, you, Artemis and I are going inside_, Robin said mentally, _Zatanna and Miss Martian stay guard and check if any of their superiors enter or anyone that seems familiar really._

_Okay, Striker answered, I think the West wing is empty, meet me there._

_Copy._

As soon as he finished his thought, Robin was already picking at the lock of the window. A second later, it flipped open silently. He gestured to let Artemis go first, she jumped inside and landed soundlessly on the ground behind a conveyer belt. The Boy Wonder landed beside her, just as silently. They hid behind the machine and waited until some of the workers were gone. They crept silently behind boxes and different machines until Robin found an air shaft. They entered it and crawled their way towards the West wing with the help of Robin's computer-watch, which Wally had called it 'Techy Thingy'.

They exited the cramped space and landed on the floor beside the window. Nobody was there; it was an empty hall that had nothing in it. A second after, Striker appeared out of the shadows, like he was trained to when he was still a criminal.

"Robin, they're making weapons." He whispered.

The younger boy's eyes grew, "I thought you guys said that they didn't make their own weapons."

"They don't." Striker and Artemis said simultaneously.

Striker gulped, "They're not just any weapons." He said, his voice sounded worried.

* * *

><p>The three of them were kneeling on the highest machine they could find. They observed as people carried boxes around, metals and guns going through machines and burning ovens. It was pretty much 40°C where they were and with the tight suits, they were sweating like if they had just run a mile. Artemis whipped the lower part of her face, right over her mouth. It was moments like these that made her regret not getting the same mask as Luke or Robin.<p>

A few guns, from riffles to simple 9 millimeters, passed through some giant machine by conveyer belts and came out…glowing? Yes, they were deffinetly glowing, or something like that. It was like they had some sort of aura. Then, at the end of the belt, men of all age and size took them and put them in boxes.

"This is bad." Striker whispered to no one in particular.

She wondered why the guns were glowing, "What the heck kind of guns are they making?" she asked with a grimace.

Robin was tapping on his hologram and cursed under his breath, "I'm detecting some radiation. It's not very strong here but I bet those machines are full of nuclear power." Artemis and Striker stared at him, not quite finished processing what he had just said.

The blond archer pressed her lips against each other and looked at the guns with a worried face, "I'm guessing we don't want to know what those things do, do we?" she asked.

"I'm afraid we _have_ to know what they are." Striker said.

Robin gulped, "I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that they're making some sort of nuclear weapons."

_Robin! _

All three of them heard the cry of Zatanna.

_Zatanna! What happened?_ The youngster asked frantically.

_There's a truck coming_, she paused dramatically, _Wally's driving it_.

Robin, Striker and Artemis looked at each other, panicked.

Striker gulped, _Okay, Zee, Miss Martian, meet us at the roof, we're leaving, he ordered them._

_Alright_, Zatanna answered, _just be careful._

Artemis looked worried, all this talk about radiation and weapons got most of her attention for now and now that she heard that Wally was in the building, she was anxious. She wanted to see him, see the look on his face the moment she said her name the night before. But she knew it was too risky, she wouldn't just put herself in danger but her team as well, maybe even the speedster himself.

She faced Robin, "Air shafts?" she asked.

The Boy Wonder shook his head, "With Luke with us, we're way too heavy. And I'm not risking leaving any of you alone for one second." He said, "Not knowing we could be compromised."

The two blonds nodded, "So I guess we'll just have to sneak our way up towards the roof?" Striker asked, not really that fond of the idea.

"_Tsk_. Like if we have a choice." Artemis stopped herself after she spoke, she hadn't sounded that much of herself in so long that the thought of it was almost impossible.

Striker and Robin seemed to have noticed and for barely a second, their eyes―even behind masks―brightened. But she just acted like she didn't care.

* * *

><p>The three of them walked silently in a small and narrow hallway, dimly light by lamps every few meters. It wasn't the same hallway as before; Artemis thought that they must have been in the South wing. Then she saw a bright light a few meters away, she turned around and put a finger over her lips, telling the boys to be quiet, which was quite amusing since they were so silent she doubted they could be any quieter.<p>

Sportsmaster's daughter sticked to the wall and stopped at the open door and listened.

"Are they all ready?" she heard the too familiar voice that she hated. Sportsmaster.

"Almost, master." Artemis could feel the already broken pieces of her heart break into a million more little pieces, it was Wally.

She could actually _feel_ her father's smirk, "Well that will have to be good enough." He said and sighed, "What about the sword, knives? The manual ones?"

"Just a few dozen left and then they're ready." The speedster answered.

"Very well." The villain said, "Now we must leave, we cannot stay too long."

Artemis's eyes grew as she started to panic, then she jumped as high as she could. She extended her arms and legs, trying to hold onto the ceiling and hiding behind some sort of long framed lamp, she had never been so happy to be in such a cramped space. She looked under her and didn't see Robin or Striker anywhere and took that as a good sign. Now, she just hoped that her hair didn't slip from her back and started dangling.

She heard a door close and she stopped breathing, she was pretty sure her father could hear her heart pump against her rib cage. She heard footsteps lead her way and closed her eyes tightly shut. She could hear them pass her and slowly move away, once she couldn't hear a single step, she let out a deep breath.

The archer dropped from the ceiling and looked around the hallway, when she turned, Robin was in front of her and she almost shrieked in surprise. She gave him a glare. There it was again, she hadn't given a glare to anyone in a month. Maybe it was just her getting used to the idea of never being with Wally again? She wasn't sure but she was surprised with herself.

Robin gave a small frown, he wasn't happy about what he had just heard. "There are more." He whispered, "And they're not just guns. They're all kinds of weapons."

"This is bad." Striker repeated as he appeared beside Artemis out of nowhere.

"Like if it wasn't bad before." She muttered in despair.

Striker sighed, "We have to tell the others." With that said, they made their way towards the roof and onto the Bio-ship.

* * *

><p>"They're doing it in Paris." Superboy said.<p>

The whole Team was in the cave now, first Robin and Striker explained what they had learned while Artemis stayed silent.

"Why Paris?" Artemis said for the first time since they arrived at Mount Justice. "And what is _it_ exactly?"

Aqualad frowned, "We're not sure, some sort of attack from what we've understood."

"Okay, let's recap." Robin said, "So first, we know that the Shadows are making nuclear weapons, from guns to anything sharp. Second, they're doing some sort of attack on Paris."

Cheshire interrupted, "No, they're starting _in_ Paris, but soon enough they'll expand and take over pretty much all of Europe." She explained.

"Yeah but, question is: What are they planning?" Jane Doe asked.

"And why on earth did they choose to take Wally?" Robin asked, deep in thought, "Why him? It could have been any of us, but Sportsmaster chose him specifically."

Cassandra sighed, she was beyond happy that she had finally gotten to participate in a real mission but she couldn't help but worry for her friend, "This is bad."

* * *

><p><strong>So, yeah, really short. I just wanted to let you guys guess for a little while... And I'll give you a hint on what Wally's for : Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. I watched the last part of the movie and got me thinking... If you didn't watch the movie, well you'll just have to wait. But it's not EXACTLY that. Anyway, good guessing and PLEASE REVIEW!<strong>


	21. Paris, Here We Come Again

**Heya! Okay, here's another short chapter. Nothing really happens here, I just wanted to write something but I didn't think writing them in Paris already was a good idea. So here's the next chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 21: Paris, Here We Come (Again)<span>

"You are sure they said that the attack was happening in three days?" Red Tornado asked Aqualad, who nodded afterwards, "Alright, I have just informed the League of your news." The Team's den-mother told them. "And we all agreed that this investigation has gotten too dangerous for children―"

"_Teens_!" Robin cried out, "We are _teenagers_." he put his hands on his hips in frustration, "And I'm pretty such children don't fight crime every day."

Red Tornado nodded, "As I was saying, the Justice League has agreed that this investigation had gotten too dangerous for a group of super teenagers. You are all off this case." And pandemonium went loose. The only one who wasn't arguing was Artemis. She stayed silent and pale as ever.

"What do you mean we're off the case?" Superboy asked, annoyed and with his arms crossed over his chest.

But instead, it was Robin who answered, "It means we have to stop investigating Wally's disappearance, at least for us."

"What?" Jane Doe cried out, "That's not fair! We started this investigation. We're the ones who did all the work. We got the info you needed. You can't just cut us off of our own case!" she whined like a little girl.

"Yes they can." Aqualad said, arms also crossed. His eyebrows pressed against each other, his pale green eyes looked worried and he was visibly irritated. "The only ones over eighteen here are Red Arrow and Cheshire, and technically, they are not even members of the Team."

Roy and Jade scowled at his comment but didn't deny it.

Striker took a step forward, "Look, I think you guys are both right, it is dangerous," he face the red robot, "but Red, come on, we were trained for this. This is the reason why we're superheroes. This is what we've been waiting for. This investigation is why we are superheroes. It might be dangerous but it's exactly the reason why we're here." He told the Leaguer calmly, the way he always was. He always had this confidence when it came to talking in public and making his cause. When he was younger, his parents actually wanted him to take Law for his major.

"I am sorry but the League has made its decision." Red Tornado said, showing no emotion, being the robot that he was, "It is just not something for children."

"Teenagers!" They all said together.

If the robot could roll his eyes, he would have but he didn't say anything. "And anyway, we also thought that you have all been working hard trying to locate Kid Flash and you all need your rest. You might be teenagers but you are also still growing." He pointed out but the Team didn't really need to be reminded of that.

Zatanna sighed, "Fine." She gave in, everyone looked at her, shocked, she was always one of the rebellious ones in the Team, yet she was the first one to give up? It didn't make sense. "He's right. We haven't slept in a month. We need some rest…"

Red Tornado thanked her for her understanding and told the rest of the Team to go to sleep.

Once he left the room, a grin grew on the magician's face, "… if we want to defeat the Shadows once and for all."

* * *

><p>Artemis sat at their usual booth beside Luke and Cassandra. Luke was drinking a strawberry milk shake while Cassandra was texting someone with her phone and Artemis just stared out the window, clutching onto her silver necklace that Wally had given to her as a Christmas present. She held onto it even more than before.<p>

Eventually, the normally patient and calm Luke spoke, "Who on earth are you texting?" he asked his little sister, "Nathan?" he teased and then chuckled.

Cassandra rolled her eyes, "No," she said, "I'm texting Lou and Vee. They're still at the beach."

"I still can't believe you decided not to go with them. I mean you guys planned that for a whole month!" he threw his hands up in the air and sighed.

The newest superhero pressed the _'send'_ button on her phone and faced her brother, who was beside her, "Well if Artemis or Alice went missing, you wouldn't want to go either." She spat at him.

Luke looked slightly hurt, not because of her comment though, but because he couldn't even think of losing his best friend. So he stayed silent.

"Alice?" Artemis spoke for the first time they arrived at the diner.

Immediately, Cassandra wished she hadn't said what she had said. Luke glared at her, but that didn't stop him from turning into a tomato. "Uh, yeah." He whispered, "I―We've sort of been going on a few dates."

The archer was taken aback, she had no idea they were dating. Yet, both Alice and Luke were best friends and neither of them even _mentioned_ about it. "So," she mumbled shyly, "are you guys like… boyfriend-girlfriend?"

The tall, blond boy shrugged, "I don't know, really." He said, "We've been on a few dates but we never talked about being in…a relationship." He answered, being even redder, "We used to get together almost every week but in the past month, we've been on one date."

"Wait," Artemis put her hand in front of her, gesturing for Luke to stop talking, "you guys have been dating for over a month?"

Luke couldn't help but smile, "I guess you could say that." Then he looked away, embarrassed, and faced his younger sister, "Anyway, what about your love life, Lil' Cee?" Cassandra's grey-blue eyes grew, "How are you and that Nate kid?" he asked, a bit curious to the answer.

Sandie looked away, "We broke up." She whispered, barely audible from where Artemis was.

Then anger filled Luke's face, he really was the overprotective brother, "What?" he cried out, "What did that ass-whole did to you?"

"Nothing!" Cassandra threw her hands in front of her, showing her palms to her brother, "_I_ broke up with him."

Luke stared at her, "But Wally said you guys always had a crush on each other."

Sandie pressed her lips together, "I know," she said, "but when we started dating, there wasn't any chemistry or anything. There was no… spark." She explained, "At first I thought it would just come in time, but then there was nothing. Just…_blank_. So, when I told him that I wanted to break up with him because I didn't feel like we belonged together, he totally agreed."

The older boy gave her a suspicious look but pushed his doubts away as he saw Alice come through the door. Then came her brother and then Amy. They sat down at their booth, Alex sat down beside Artemis, across Sandie and beside him was Amy while Alice sat a little too close beside Luke.

Amy looked nervously at Artemis, "So, any news?" she asked her friend.

Artemis explained what they had found out about the Shadows and Wally being possessed. The twins and Amy had demanded to get news every time the Team got new info and they swore to not tell anyone.

At the end, all their faces were filled with shock and worry.

"Okay," Alex gulped, trying to process what was happening in his home country, "and who is she?" he pointed towards Cassandra.

The three of them had met Luke at Artemis's birthday party and he had given the archer the permission to tell them his secret identity but they had never even heard of Sandie before.

"Oh," Artemis said, "this is…" she hesitated, not sure if she was allowed to tell them her real name.

Sandie didn't notice though, she just held out her hand and said, "Cassandra Ausseil." She presented herself and Alex shook her hand, "Also known as Luke's younger sister."

"I―I didn't know that Luke had a sister." Alex said shyly.

"Welcome to the club." Artemis muttered, "I didn't know until last month."

Alice's eyes light up, "Oh well, hi, I'm Alice Karlson." She said, exited, as she shook Cassandra's hand next.

A smirk grew on Sandie's face, she couldn't help herself, "I know," she said, "Luke has said _so_ much about you." Her brother gave her another glare but she ignored it and chuckled while Alice gave a short and confused look.

"And I'm Amy Fernandez." She didn't shake her hand though, she just waved from across the table.

Then silence overcame them, but soon enough, Alex's curiosity overtook him, "Uh, so, Cassandra," he said nervously, "are you like, a superhero as well?"

Sandie smiled again, "Yeah, but I'm still new and in training." She explained to Alex, who nodded. "My superhero name's Jane Doe."

"Cool." He said with a grin, "But you don't mind telling us or anything?"

She shrugged, "Any friend of Wally's is a friend of mine." She said, "And anyway, Arty already told you everything else so…why not just add my secret ID?"

Silence came again.

Artemis was the one who broke it, "Uh, so, the reason why I wanted to meet you guys was because tomorrow morning, the Team will be flying to Paris." She said, "And there's a very high possibility that we won't come back." She gulped.

* * *

><p>After they ate dinner, they said their goodbyes, which included a kiss from Alice and Luke, which left him blushing the whole way back to the cave.<p>

Then they went to their rooms at exactly 8 p.m., just as Aqualad had ordered them.

Artemis sat down on her usual seat in the Bio-ship. She clutched onto the sides of her chair. Although they were supposed to get a lot of sleep the night before, she had only slept for a few hours. She couldn't help herself. She was so damn nervous. Nervous because of the Shadows, because of the attack on Paris and because she was going to see _Wally_ again.

The others were fully rested though. They all knew they wouldn't be able to sleep so they had taken sleeping pills while M'gann hypnotized Connor and herself to sleep. But Artemis didn't take them. She didn't want to.

Miss Martian was preparing the Bio-ship for takeoff and then when she was done, she said, "Are you guys ready?" she asked the Team.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Superboy whispered from across the ship.

Artemis took a deep breath and held onto her necklace, she sighed and opened her grey, sleepy eyes. "Paris, here we come."

She couldn't help at wince at her own words.

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><p><strong>Déjà-vu much? Yupp Anyway, can you guys like<em><span> vote on my poll please<span>_? It's in my profile. I was just curious so I'm asking you guys that. Anyway, hope it wasn't _too_ boring and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	22. Family

**I'm back. I'M REALLY SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN SO LONG. I was really busy for the past month and I've updated as much as possible. And thank God my grades are stopping tomorrow. For the past two to three weeks, we've had exams like none stop. On Friday, which is normally the shortest day of school, our class had THREE tests, not like tiny ones but like really HUGE ones. So here's the next chapter. No spitfire, sorry about that but... Just but, okay? I started writing last night and finished it this morning. I was actually supposed to study for another test tomorrow but since it's still pretty early here, well, I wrote. So... PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 22: Family<span>

"Oliver!" Green arrow heard his named cried by the most familiar person he know, he turned around, and there, running towards him, was his new wife.

Sometimes, he still had to get used to the fact that they were now married. And not just that, but they also had Adam now. Everything was going to fast, yet so at pace. He didn't know how to explain it. It was a rush. He couldn't get enough of the adrenaline yet, it was all perfect and he would change anything for the world.

But when he looked at Dinah, she looked frantic and an expression he only got to see from time to time. She was scared.

When she finally reached him, she was panting but her eyes were still filled with fear and…worry?

He put his hands on her shoulders to make her look at him, "Dinah, what's wrong?" he asked, now scared of the answer he would get.

The blond woman gulped, "The kids." She said, "They're gone."

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><p>The flight by Bio-ship was a lot faster than by a normal airplane, twice as fast even. But M'gann had to steer the ship for several hours so once they arrived in Paris, they quickly went to their hotel, and went into their room. Robin was pleased with himself. He was pleased at the fact that he could reserve a room without even paying it, damn his hacking skills. Everyone was a bit tired by the 4 hour flight but they had slept for hours before that, more than they had the whole month combined and they took a few naps every now and then on the ship as well, having nothing to do for so long.<p>

But Artemis on the other hand, barely slept at all and didn't even think about falling asleep on the ship. The whole time they were in the air, she was clutching onto her necklace, refusing to let go. Because really, other than what now felt like distant memories and many photographs, that necklace was the only thing she really had of him. She wouldn't let go of it. She wouldn't let go of _him_.

And letting go of it, for her, it was like she stopped believing that he was still him. That they could stop whatever was happening to him.

She just had to believe. Once again, she had to have hope.

But to her, it really felt like hope was the one letting her go.

At some point during the flight, she wondered if Mrs. Karlson was already at the airport. When she, Luke and Sandie had their talk with the twins and Amy, Artemis had warned them that the attack would be in Paris. She told them to tell their mom to get out of Paris, soon.

They landed in a farm not so far from the city; it was actually pretty near Disneyland.

And as Robin, wearing his civies and usual shades, opened the door of their suite, M'gann went storming in, chose a room and went to bed. Cassandra was sharing a room with the Martian while Jade, Artemis and Zatanna shared the room across theirs. Luke and Robin shared another room, although that meant that the Boy Wonder had to wear shades to sleep, and Connor, Roy and Kaldur shared another room.

The first thing Sandie did was look out the window, amazed about how much she missed the city. Like the twins, she and Luke were half French, the difference was that the siblings actually lived in Paris before moving to the U.S. She missed the large city, where everyone always wore the most fashionable clothes, had the most expensive cars and always ate the best French food they could find. She missed eating baguette, and French cheese, not the hard, Italian type, but the creamy type, she missed the pain au chocolat, and the croissant, and being able to see the Eiffel Tower every morning and every night, before she went to sleep. So she stood beside the window for what felt like forever until her brother stood beside her and put his arm around her reassuringly.

Luke whispered something to her and she started jumping like a laughing bunny. Her blue-grey eyes were filled with joy, and seeing her happy just made Luke even more happy. And with that, they left the suite.

Artemis asked Kaldur what that was about.

"Luke asked for personal time off." was what he said, "Actually, since we still have about another twenty-four hours until we go into battle, we should all rest. Or if you'd like, you could go outside, like Luke and Cassandra." And then we went off to take a cold shower.

When Artemis turned around, Connor was watching TV, flipping through the channels.

Having nothing else to do, she started heading towards the kitchen, but as she was about to open the door, she stopped. She touched the door lightly, then remembering every time Wally went inside the kitchen and raved the fridge. And somehow, she couldn't help smile and shed a tear all at the same time. She sighed and whipped it quickly.

She turned around and found Robin, arms crossed, and Zatanna blocking her way.

Robin was the first one to speak, "Hey Arty." He said simply.

She raised an eyebrow, of course he was up to something but she had no idea what, and honestly, she was too exhausted to even try to figure it out, "What do you want Robin?" she asked, a bit too bitter than she intended.

But he just shrugged it off; he knew very well what she was going though, "Nothing," he said, "I just realized that you look really tired."

Artemis crossed her arms over her chest, "Look Robin, I'm fine." She said, "And honestly what's your point, anyway?"

"Nothing." And a grin grew on his face. "I just thought you might need some sleep before we go into action and everything."

"I told you Rob, I'm fine. I don't need any more sleep." She protested, annoyed with herself for not putting up a better argument.

Robin's grin grew even more, "You see," he said, "we thought that you might say that."

And before she could say anything else, Zatanna whispered something Artemis was just able to understand: "PEELS!" the magician cried out.

Artemis lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Oliver, Adam and Dinah were at the West's house, dropping off their son.<p>

Oliver Queen kneeled down on one knee and touched his son's shoulder. Although, Adam didn't have the same blond hair as his father or his mother, he had their blue eyes. Of course, he wasn't their biological son but they both loved him like their own.

Ollie smiled at his son, "Look Adam, you're a bit too young to understand me right now but―" he stopped, he knew very well that Artemis and Adam were like siblings, he barely had the courage to tell him what was happening, "Do you remember Arty?" he asked him.

The newly three year old nodded, "Big sister Artemis?" he asked ever so adorably.

Oliver nodded, "Well, she and her Team are in trouble." Adam looked worried, "And your mom and I are going to save her and others." He didn't mention the world, he really didn't want to worry the little kid even more. "And in the meantime, you're going to stay with Mark and Cassie, do you remember them?" Adam nodded again.

The superhero licked his lips, "Mommy and I'll be back before you know it." With that, he pulled Adam towards him and crushed the little boy in a bear hug. One of his hands was on the on Adam's head and he stroked his light brown hair. "I promise I'm going to bring Arty back, I promise." He whispered to his son.

Ollie let the boy go but still held his by the shoulders, "You pwomise?" Adam said sadly.

"I promise." He said determined.

Then he looked at the youngest West kids, "And you guys, take good care of Adam for me, will you?" He said with a fatherly smile.

Cassie was the first to walk towards them, her younger brother, walking behind her. The blond, now 7 year old, put her hands over Ollie's putting them over Adam's shoulders reassuringly. "We'll take good care of him for you, Uncle Ollie."

Then her brother came and hid behind her, for once, being the shy one this time and said, "Will your bring Wally back too?" when the kids found out their older brother went missing, Mark had lost most of his joy, he missed his brother dearly and so did Cassie.

Ollie smirked at them reassuringly, "We'll bring everyone back. Especially Wally." He told them and Mark's eyes seemed to relax a little bit.

"Oliver." The blond man turned around to find Dinah already in her outfit, "They're calling us." Green Arrow nodded and turned back towards the kids.

His smile faded and his eyes filled with a lot of things. Sadness, anger, worry, love, but no matter how many emotions there were, his eyes still showed promise.

He sighed, dreading the fact that he had to leave his son while they had to stop the beginning of the end of the world and at the same time, had to save a bunch of teenagers, one who was like his own daughter and another was her boyfriend, who was kidnapped a month before. He was going to have a hell of a night but he made a promise, the biggest one he had ever made, but he wouldn't as hell back down now. Not for the world, not for anything. He was going to save the world, Artemis and Wally. If it was the last thing he did. And he knew that the rest of the League would too. That small Team of teenagers meant the world for the League; they treated them like their own children, like their family. And nobody messed with the children of the League. Nobody.

With that, Oliver first kissed Mark's forehead, then Cassie's and then Adam's and rubbed his son's cheek smoothly. "Love you." He told him as he got up, and this time, it was Dinah who kissed their son goodbye.

Ollie and Dinah sat on his motorcycle and waved another goodbye towards the West household and Adam and then, they left, towards the nearest zeta tube, towards the Watch Tower. Towards saving their family.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, probably, their battle thing's for next chapter. And IMPORTANT! For those who ship Blue Beetle and Wonder Girl (I don't know we people ship them, they're almost never together), well, I started writing a fic about them too. So if you're interested or anything... Just go on my profile and look for it! And <span>NO,<span> they will not interfere with Complications, they were just stuck in my head and I just needed to write it down. So thanks and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	23. No Pain

**Okay, I don't really know if this chapter has Spitfire, I guess you could say that. So, here it is and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 23: No Pain<span>

"So," The Flash said, the Justice League were gathered at the Watch Tower, "do we know why they took Wally?"

Batman opened a picture of Wally from the Central City High School yearbook, "Last night, we caught one of the high ranked Shadows, even higher than Cheshire. At first, we tried cooperating with him, eventually time started to run out so we had to use the faster way. Zatarra got him to tell us at the very last minute." He pointed towards the magician, " Apparently they're using him as their backup plan. See, with the right technology, they will be able to use Kid Flash's speed to turn back time, even just a few hours, so if ever their plan fails, all they need to do is use Kid Flash and turn back time."

"Okay, so as long as they have Wally, they'll never fail taking over the world?" Green Arrow asked.

"Precisely." Batman said.

The Flash rubbed his chin, wondering, "Alright, but why Wally? Why not take me? I'm much faster than Wally."

This time, it was Zatarra who spoke, "They thought that Wally was an easier target. And although Kid Flash is much slower than you, all they needed to do was readjust some technical things. The way they did it was much faster than trying to capture you." He paused, "You see, since Wally is extremely smart, he is still an insecure teenager. They used his weakness to get to him."

"Our plan is we take Wally first, then the Shadows." Batman said.

The other nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Artemis woke up with a start. Her eyes flew open and she sat upright. She looked at her surroundings. She was on her bed, at on her left, Zatanna was sleeping and at her right, so was Jade. The archer rubbed her sleepy eyes and then looked out the large window, the curtains were closed but she could tell it was still early morning; the sun was just about to rise.<p>

She went out of the room, as quietly as possible, which most likely meant that she woke up Jade and then headed towards the kitchen. There, coffee was ready and she poured half of it into her mug. It was a bit dark but there was enough light for her to see clearly. She headed to the balcony with her coffee and stayed there. She leaned on the railing and started at the city.

The last time she was there, it was half a year ago. It felt like a million years ago, yet it also felt fresh, like it was just the night before. She remembered the cold winter air from back in December, she remembered how Wally's kiss had warmed her and how her tears felt cool against her cheeks. Now, it was still pretty breezy since it was barely 5 in the morning, but there was no snow, no need to cover up. It felt like a totally different city, yet it also felt pretty much the same. It was like a mix of both.

Artemis loved Paris for that, it was a mix of the old, like some of the streets, they weren't made of gravel or concrete, but put together by stones making some sort of pattern, some buildings were made of wood, some of cement but they still had the same feel, anyone could tell they were pretty old, and the monuments like the Eiffel Tower dated back to the late eighteen hundreds, they actually learned about that in History, it was during the industrial time. Actually, it was started back in 1887 and then was finished in 1889 **[AN: not that you guys need to know that ]**

And then they were the newer parts of the city, like the metro and the cars but most of the city still had that old feeling. It was like stepping back into the late nineteenth century.

She stared as the sun rose, it reminded her so much of when Wally woke her up just to see the sun rise. It made her miss him even more, and instinct took over as she reached for her necklace. Her index and thumb tightened around it as she let out a long, shaky breath. That night, the attack on Paris would start, and if the Shadows succeeded, they would slowly take over Europe, then Asia, then the whole rest of the world. If the Team failed, they wouldn't just let Paris down, or the world, but they would let Wally down. And since the Team would have tried stopping the Shadows, she didn't think they would let them off that easy, even if she and Jade were the daughters of Sportsmaster.

They just had to succeed.

It was that, or they pretty much died.

Artemis took a sip of her coffee. She closed her eyes as she felt the warmth spread all over her body.

"Are you alright?" Artemis jumped.

She faced the doorway and starred at Robin. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you or anything." He said in a low, hushed voice.

Artemis didn't say anything, instead she just started staring at the city again. They had a pretty nice view; she could see the whole North-East side of Paris.

That's when Robin stood beside her and leaned on the railing was well then sighed, "Mrs. Karlson's in Gotham." He said, "I called Alice and Alex just to be sure." Artemis nodded numbly.

"Good," she said emotionless, "it's not safe here anymore."

"Are you ready for tonight?" he asked her, staring at the city.

Artemis couldn't help but crack a smile, "Please, my life time goal is to take down the Shadows." Her voice wasn't loud, it was low actually, but it was filled with anger and hatred. And when Robin didn't reply, she said, "You know what the Shadows do, I know you do. I bet that when you hear about the stories, you're repulsed as hell. Of course you would. It's that part of our humanity speaking." She gulped, "But when you get to see them in person, when you get to be a part of it. You're not just disgusted at them, but at yourself. It's like you want to rip that whole part of your life away, just erase it and forget." She paused, and looked at her shaky right hand, which had let go of her necklace and forced her eyes close, "Remembering all the things I did, it's horrible. It's like I'm seeing someone totally different, yet I know it's me." Without meaning to, Artemis shed a tear, "Sometimes, I don't even feel human." She gritted her teeth so hard it made a small screeching noise.

Although he'd been friends with Artemis for a year now, he had no idea what to do. This was Wally's department. Or at the very least M'gann or Luke. Not someone who was trained by the most emotionless man on earth, though he could crack a smile once in a while. Not knowing whether to leave her alone or to stay, Robin put a hand on Artemis's back, trying his best to not show that he was in an awkward position.

"Well, what about Luke?" he asked, trying to not make the silence even more awkward, "He was a Shadow."

Artemis bit her lower lip, "It's different. At that time, I had already realized that what I was doing was wrong, so I guess you could say that I sort of tought him how to stay like himself." Robin looked confused, "I mean, although he was a member of the Shadows, he really wasn't." Now, Robin looked even more confused. He knew how Luke had gotten in the Shadows, etc. But the way the archer was explaining it, well, it made your head dizzy, "He was a Shadows, but never really worked for them. Never. While I grew up as one, most of my life was thanks to the Shadows. Luke never really was one, not exactly."

Robin nodded, now he understood, at least, he thought he did.

"I'm sorry." The Boy Wonder said out of nowhere.

Artemis raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"The whole thing with Zee, we didn't want to force you or anything, we just thought you needed some rest." He explained, "I mean, you're a great archer and all but I'm pretty sure you can't aim with your eye closed."

Artemis let out a chuckle. The first real sign of joy, or least the closest one she had in a month.

She suddenly started thinking about Sandie and Luke, "So, where did Cassandra and Luke go yesterday?" she asked casually.

"It's pretty sweet actually." He answered, "Apparently, they used to live here and well, their family still owns the property and Luke brought her to visit their old house." Artemis couldn't help but smile, sometimes, she wished she had a younger sibling to have moments like that with.

But then she remembered Cassie and Mark. And Adam. They were all like little brothers and sister to her. She would add them to her list. She would fight for the world, for Cassie, Mark, Adam, her mother, Ollie, Dinah, the West family, Alice, Alex, Amy, and Simon, everyone she knew. Including Wally.

"So," she said, "you said they're attacking on _Champ de Mars_?" she asked.

"Yup."

"That's a pretty big space to cover with only eight kids and two barely adults." She pointed out.

"Yeah." He said, "That will just have to do it."

* * *

><p>Artemis walked around the same tree for what felt like the millionth time. It was dark but lampposts light up most of the <em>Champ de Mars<em>. She was near the Eiffel Tower, on the other side of the Field; there was Superboy, somewhere between them was Jane Do then on the farther side, that is, the farthest from the Eiffel Tower, there was Robin, Zatanna and Striker while somewhere in the middle of the Field, there was Cheshire, Red Arrow and Aqualad. In the air, Miss Martian stayed in the Bio-Ship.

They were waiting for 9 o'clock. And right then, it was 8:55 pm. Five more minutes.

Artemis took another look around. Nothing.

But then, something caught her eye. Something so fast she could barely see it, but she did, it was a blur of red.

She turned around again, ready to strike if she ever she needed to.

Although before she knew it, she was pinned to the tree she had been turning around. A forearm was strangling her by the neck, keeping her off the ground. The blond girl tried kicking but it was no use, it didn't seem to affect the person who was pinning her against the tree.

Artemis stared at her attacker. And saw the same and familiar emerald green eyes.

She stopped kicking.

"_Wally_." She whispered, trying to breathe normally even though the speedster was cutting most of her oxygen.

The redhead's eyes softened like the last time she saw him but then, also like the last time she saw him, his eyes hardened almost immediately. "Who are you?" he hissed at her. Artemis was able to make a questioning look, "Last time, you said my name as well. How do you know me?"

Artemis gasped for air, "What…are…you…talking…about?" she asked, barely able to breathe.

Wally's grip tightened, "The other day, when I saw you, you were so familiar." He said, with a hint of misery in his voice, "Yet, I don't remember you."

_Did they like brainwash him or something?_ Artemis thought.

Artemis's eyes started to get watery, "You…you don't _remember_ me?" she sounded pleading.

Wally looked away and shook his head, "No." then he turned back to her, "Although, you look so familiar. Almost like if you were from a dream." He paused, "But you know me. Tell me how!" he demanded, his face, only 2 inches away from hers.

"You're…my boyfriend." She said, barely audible.

Wally shook his head violently, "No, I don't know you!"

"You…were the one…who asked _me_." She told him. But he didn't say anything else, "I know…it seems hard to believe…but…you know it's the truth."

Wally pushed her even harder against the tree, "_Lies_!" he yelled at her face, his eyes full of rage and sorrow. Artemis had never regretted putting herself under a tree so much before, there the shade was too dark for anyone to see, and Miss Martian couldn't see from above either. The archer cursed mentally.

And seeing him there, in front of her, it was almost dreamlike. And for the second time of the day, a tear fell from Artemis's eye, slowly going down her cheek.

That's when Wally's old instincts started to kick in. With his index finger, he whipped it away. "_I love you_." She was just able to mumble. And for some reason, this time, it was Wally who shed a tear, though; he didn't seem to notice it. "Please…" she clawed at Wally's forearm, "I know…you…believe me." Her nails scratched the sleeve of the leather jacket Wally was wearing. "You know…_this_…isn't…the real…you."

Wally glared at her, although his eyes looked soft somehow, "And why should I believe you?" he muttered.

Artemis forced her eyes to look right at Wally's green ones, "Look at me, Wally," she begged, "tell me…you don't…believe me." She let out a shaky breath that she hadn't realized she was holding, "Tell me…you don't love me."

Wally's eyes looked like they were out of his haze, like if he was starting to believe her, and his gripped loosened too, so much even, that Artemis could have gotten away with one hit to the head, but she stayed, maybe, just maybe, she could bring him back, she needed to try.

The redhead looked at her one more time, this time, his eyes filled with fear and doubt.

Then he let her go completely, "I need to go." He said and before Artemis could blink, he was gone.

* * *

><p>Wally walked casually toward the center of the Camp de Mars, the place they were meeting. At the corner of his eye, Wally caught a sight of Zatanna and pulled the collar of his leather jacket up, the last thing he needed was for him to be seen. He wondered if the blond girl he had pinned against the tree had told the rest of her team that he had attacked her. Wally knew it was a reckless thing to do, it was not the orders that his Master had ordered him to do at all. He needed to know what that girl knew.<p>

A few days ago, his Master had ordered him to attack her, but not to kill her. His Master had never made him kill, He had said that Wally was not emotionally ready. But until a few days before, when he had attacked the girl, he could barely think for himself. Now, everything in his brain was mixed up. He had no idea what was real and what was not.

Actually, he didn't even know his name was Wally. His Master usually simply called him Kid Idiot. Wally had not liked the name. He had hated it. But he could not argue with his Master.

But when that girl had said his name. It felt so familiar, so right. Like for once, since he had gotten amnesia a month ago, he felt like something belonged to him. _Wally_. That belonged to him. He needed to know what that girl knew about him.

Though, he didn't expect that from her. From him.

He had defied his Master's orders behind his back just to know if she knew more about him.

Was she lying? His Master did warn him that she was an expert with mind games.

But when she said those words, all of them, they felt so genuine. So real. Like she really meant them. Did she?

Did he believe her?

Did he love her?

_Do I love her?_

The same thing in his head over and over again until he saw his Master coming closer. He forced the thought away, although there was still some sort of echo in his head.

Beside his Master, stood his associate, Psimon and a few other Shadows came around him with large suitcases. One of the Shadows laid down a small foldable table and unfolded it. Another one, a lieutenant Wally thought, put down a suitcase over the table.

"Sir, are you sure it is safe to do this at such a public area?" the lieutenant asked.

Sportsmaster glared at him, "Stop worrying, Psimon has that all under control." He faced the other villain, "Isn't that right Psimon?" he didn't say anything, "He's putting on an illusion, so if you don't hurry up, you're the one who's going to have to worry."

The lieutenant swallowed hard and slowly opened the suitcase.

Sportsmaster grinned. "There you have it, nuclear weapons, just as we needed."

The villain gestured towards the other suitcases that the other Shadows were holding. Then he took something out of his own suitcase that Wally hadn't realized he was holding and pulled out a large gun. Sportsmaster put down a tripod and put the gun on it, it now looked like a huge telescope.

Sportsmaster admired the gun, "And this, will ensure that we will never fail." He grinned mischievously, the way he always did.

Wally had no idea what they were talking about, nobody ever told him the plan, all he knew he was just an important part of it.

Sportsmaster's grin grew, "Let's begin."

* * *

><p>"<em>Ah<em>!" Miss Martian cried out in pain.

"_M'gann_!" Superboy cried out, feeling her pain through the mental link.

"_What's wrong Miss M_?" Robin asked with a touch of worry in his voice.

M'gann put her hand to her head and rubbed her forehead, "_Something…something doesn't feel right_." She said, "_There's a mental link somewhere, it's blocking mine_."

"_Miss Martian, do you know who the link is coming from? Or from where?_" Aqualad asked.

The Martian thought for a moment, "_Psimon! He's trying to block something. Hiding something. I can't be sure of what_." She said, "_But, it's in the middle of the Field! The circular park in the middle! It's coming from there._"

"_I'm the nearest one there,"_ Zatanna spoke up, "_I'll check it out_."

"_Okay, we will be there in three minutes_." Aqualad said.

Artemis started running. Running even before Aqualad had finished talking. She ran as fast as she could. As she neared the circular park, in the middle of the Champ de Mars, as she crossed the street, Zatanna was already there and Miss Martian had just jumped off of the Bio-ship and she could hear Jane Do coming close behind her and at the other side, she could see at the distance a faint shadows of Robin.

But when Artemis arrived, there was nothing.

"He's making an illusion." Miss Martian said, "It's also some sort of shield, I'll try to stop it."

M'gann concentrated as hard as she could, her eyes started glowing and her cape and hair started flying in the barely existing wind.

And ever so slowly, Artemis started to see a picture. She could see Psimon, a few Shadows, Wally and her father.

The archer saw Psimon yell in pain and fell to the ground, and the whole dome that made the illusion broke; they could now see what was happening.

Sportsmaster cursed. She was pretty such he had said "Stupid Martian".

Artemis took a few steps forward; a Shadow came closer. The first one that attacked her, Artemis had punched him twice in the gut as he put his hand up to try to stab her with a dagger, and then she had given him a neck-chop and then hit him in the head then did a turning sidekick. He fell to the floor. The second was a bit farther, so Artemis took out a normal bow and hit him in the thigh, as she passed the second one, who was already on the ground, yelling in pain, she had hit him in the head, he fell as well, unconscious.

The archer stopped on her tracks, Artemis took that as a good time to shoot. She took five arrows from her quiver, aimed at all the Shadows there and let the arrows go. They went flying to their targets and hit them, as usual. Electricity went through the arrow to the Shadows. The villains yelped in agony and fell to the floor, unconscious before they even hit the floor.

It was only then that Artemis realized how close she had gotten to Sportsmaster. And before she knew it, five feet away, her father was pointing a gun at her. Artemis's eyes grew big, how could she get so distracted so soon? She looked at the corner of her eyes; her teammates were fighting other Shadows who seemed to have come out of nowhere, like they were trained to.

She was on her own on this one.

"Don't move." Her father ordered, "Or I pull the trigger."

Artemis forced down her fear. She put on a grin, which hopefully, to him looked real enough, "Please." She said coolly, "Don't you get it?" she was trying to to show how terrified she was, "I don't care if you kill me." It was true, "I don't care how many times you do kill me, as long as I get to save the world." It was the truth, it really was, it was the whole reason why she left the Shadows.

Sportsmaster glared at her, "Alright." And just as he was about to pull the trigger, he changed his target. Wally.

Artemis let go of her cool, her heart started racing, her knees buckled

"Master?" the speedster asked, nervous, "What are you doing?"

But the only thing the villain told him to do was to shut up.

"What about now?" Sportsmaster asked sinisterly, "Would you let _him_ die?"

But out of nowhere, some sort of boomerang hit Sportsmaster's arm, he let go of the revolver. Artemis turned around to see where the weapon came from and was surprised to see Batman. Beside him was Green Arrow and a bit further some of the other leaguers came like Black Canary, Flash, Captain Marvel, etc. The blond girl couldn't help but smile.

Though a second later, even more Shadows came out and started attacking.

* * *

><p>Wally was never so confused in his whole entire life. His Master was willing to kill him. Yet, the Justice League had saved him.<p>

"You idiot!" he heard his Sportsmaster said as he hit Wally on the head, hard.

The redhead fell to the floor and he groaned in pain. He stayed on the ground for a few seconds, letting the pain seek in. He started thinking about what the blond girl had said. She would have died as long as she saved the world. It seemed so familiar, the reason she would have died, though. She didn't care about her life just as long as she could help others. Somehow, he felt…a connection? He felt like he should say the same thing. Stand up for the world. But he was a weapon, how could he even think about that? Yet, he felt like he should.

But he wasn't just thinking about that, he was also thinking about what the blond girl had said before, beck when he had pinned her to a tree. Tell me you don't love me. He didn't even know her. How was he supposed to love her? Yet, it felt like he did know her. Not just know her. But something stronger. Was it love? He didn't know.

Then he fist against jaw. He stood up and looked at the direction to where the blond girl was at. She was fighting another Shadow, this one had a sword, and she was fast this one. The Shadows tried slicing through the blond girl neck but she had backed up at the last second, though the sword did cut her, on the neck but nowhere near the artery.

That's when he saw something bright and shine fall to the grass. He went towards it; nobody even seemed to notice him as he walked across the battle. He picked up the shiny thing.

It was a necklace.

It was a silver necklace, it read Artemis, the dot of the "i" was a small diamond and beside the name was a croissant moon.

That's when he remembered everything.

It all came back at him all at once. He felt dizzy and thought that he was going to fall or something, maybe puke. Anger filled him. **He** held the necklace in his hand and made it into a fist around it. He swallowed as he remembered the whole time when he wasn't in control of himself.

Then he turned around, remembering Artemis. She was there and she did a hard turning long kick to the girl she was fighting with. Down went the Shadow. At that moment, Wally wanted to run at her, hug her, kiss her as hard as he could. She was breathing hard, cut everywhere and some of her hair got out of her tight ponytail. And as he stared at her, he saw the man he now hated the most in his life.

Sportsmaster looked not so well either, he looked like he was about to collapse. He was holding a dagger, the same dagger he saw in his dream. And that's when he knew what the Sportsmaster was about to do.

Instinct took over and Wally ran; ran as fast as he could. It was exactly like his nightmares. He would run and run, as fast as he possibly could but he couldn't make it. He was always to slow.

_No_, he thought, _I will make it._

_I have to._

Wally pushed Artemis to the side, she sure didn't see isn't coming though.

And as he pushed her, he was able to whisper what he hadn't said in a month, "_I _do_ love you_."

And as he felt the dagger enter him.

He felt no pain.

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><p><strong>Greg and Brandon have trolled with us a million times. Now, it's my turn to troll you. Mwahaha. Okay, so no homework for two night = 4,354 word chapter :D Okay, I wrote it pretty fast but I hope you enjoy and please don't mind the misspells. This is the LONGEST chapter I have EVER written in my whole life. And I love you guys so much and thank you all for the supper nice reviews! So please continue!<strong>


	24. I Love You

**Hey, I'm back. And I loved all of your reactions when I posted the last chapter! XD Thanks all of you guys for reading and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><span>Chapter 24: I Love You<span>

**[ALL OF YOU! PLEASE READ MY AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!]**

Artemis saw the whole thing wide eyed.

He had saved her.

He had come back to her.

He still loved her.

That's when she saw it. The man she hated the most, the man that had raised her to be a Shadow, the man that made her hate herself had just stabbed the boy she loved.

Everyone seemed to finish their battles and that's when Sportsmaster was punched on the face, hard, and knocked out immediately. As he fell to the ground, Robin appeared behind him, furious; his domino mask tore in places but was still mostly intact.

Artemis gulped.

She took the few steps more that she needed to be beside Wally and fell to her knees, tears in her eyes. She pulled Wally to her lap and held his face in her hands and she begged. She pleaded for his to stay. He was extremely pale, it was scary. His eyes were still open. She could see the life slowly drain from the emerald green eyes. She leaned in, her forehead touching his.

She sobbed, "Please, don't leave me." She begged.

"N―never." He replied, knowing the scenario all too well.

Artemis swallowed a lump in her throat, "Stay with me."

"A―always."

The archer sobbed even more, "I love you." She whispered, in a soft, desperate voice.

Wally smiled at her, "I love you so much." And he stopped breathing, his heart stopped beating and his body went limp. She pressed her body against his, hugging him as hard as she could, "No, no, no, no, no." she refused to believe. "You can't be dead, not when I need you the most." She mumbled against his shoulder, "I need you." She whispered, "I love you." She repeated for what felt like the hundredth time, yet it didn't seem enough.

* * *

><p>Artemis's eyes flew open. She was sweaty and breathing hard. Her heartbeat was at an impeccable speed. She sat up on the double bed. She looked at her side, he was still there, breathing evenly but still not awake.<p>

It had been three days since the almost attack on Paris. The teens were at their suite, letting Wally rest from what had happened. Now she remembered what had really happened, it was the most terrifying thing in her entire life, even more frightening than seeing all those people who died in front of her.

After Sportsmaster had stabbed Wally, Robin _was_ the one who had hit him and knocked him out, he Sportsmaster was already beat up pretty bad so just another hit to the head did it. Artemis had quickly come to Wally's side, saying the exact same words as in her dream, but it ended differently.

He had lived.

Artemis still wasn't sure how exactly. Apparently, her father had hit his artery but Batman quickly stopped the bleeding. Everything after that was pretty much a blur.

It was like July 4th all over again, though this time, the _only_ time she went out of the room was when she needed to pee and then she would take the shortest showers ever just so that she could stay in the room all over again.

It was the room across the Team's suite in Paris. It was a single bedroom but they insisted he stayed in a room for himself.

That's when it happened.

Wally's eyes flew open.

He took a deep breath that looked a lot like a sob. And Artemis threw herself at him. She put her arms around him, holding him against her. Wally just laid on the bed, not doing anything.

"I―I" he stumbled, Artemis pulled away from him, her hair was down and messy, it looked nice on her, angel like.

"Are you an angel?" he asked.

Artemis's eyes grew big, had he forgotten her, did he still have amnesia? She started to panic.

Seeing the terror in her eyes, Wally pulled her towards her into another hug, "I'm kidding, Artemis." He whispered near her ear.

The archer let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, he sat up and put her arms around him again, "Don't do that, you idiot!" she cried out against his shoulder.

Wally pulled away this time, "It was a joke, Arty." He said in a calm and even tone.

"I don't mean the joke."

The redhead rubbed his neck, blushing, "I―I'm sorry if I scared you." He mumbled.

"Scared me?" she cried out, "Scared me? I was never this terrified in my whole entire life!" she yelled at him, tears already dripping down her cheek.

Wally cupped her cheek and whipped her tears away, "Hey, I'm here now." He said soothingly, "And I'm not going anywhere."

Artemis looked at him in the eye, "Promise me." She demanded with a sob.

The speedster smiled, "I promise." He told her.

There was a long silence; it wasn't awkward but nice and calm. Then their faces were inches apart, that they could feel each other's breath, "I know this is the third time I ask you this but, do you want me to stop?" he asked with a huge grin.

Artemis couldn't help but smile, "Never." She whispered right before she pressed her lips against his softly. She put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, his hands, around her waist, also pulling her closer, as close as he possibly could, then his right arm mixed into her messy blond hair. He kissed back softly and then a bit more roughly. Their lips were soft against each other and sweet, as they always were. It was like, they belonged together, and they fit together so perfectly it seemed almost impossible. So much love in every kiss.

They went on like that for what felt like seconds but was actually almost half an hour.

* * *

><p>Artemis and Wally sat on the bed, his arms around her, protecting her, like he always did. His chin was placed on her shoulder and he pecked her neck softly. It tickled her. She smiled at the touch of his lips on her skin.<p>

"I have to tell you something." The redhead whispered, his breath tickling her even more.

She closed her eyes, tired, "What is it?"

Wally sighed, "You know, before the Shadows got me," he said, "I―I had these nightmares."

Artemis touched his face from behind her, "What were they about?" she opened her eyes.

"It was the same every time. Well, not really but they always ended the same."

"How did it end?" she asked, worried.

Tears streamed down Wally's cheek then wet Artemis's shoulder, "You died." He blurred out, shaking.

Artemis stiffened under his grasp, "Okay." She finally said after a few seconds.

"In every single dream, you died but it was never the same way." He gulped, "And I had to see you die, and I would wake up, worried the hell out of my mind, worried that you were really dead."

He explained to her how he felt, how dead he felt every time he lost her. It was like he died every night, then he woke up to live another day, just waiting for the next time he had to 'die' again. He told him about the words they promised to each other before she died. And Artemis listened intently, not missing a word he said.

After Wally stopped talking, the archer turned her face a bit so that she could see Wally, she kissed his cheek, "But I'm here." She repeated what he had said earlier, "I'm not leaving you either."

"I know that now." He said, reassured.

Artemis turned around completely now, she put her legs over his, they were so close, she put her arms around him again, "I'm not leaving you." She whispered, "I love you."

"I love you more." Wally said with a light smile that always made Artemis lightheaded.

Artemis pressed her forehead against his again, "That's not possible." She mumbled as she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, he could smell her vanilla scented hair.

Wally chuckled.

And simultaneously, they said:

"I love you."

* * *

><p><strong><span>IMPORTANT<span>! THIS IS THE BEFORE LAST CHAPTER TO THE COMPLICATIONS SERIES. YES. MY STORY IS FINALLY COMING TO A CLOSE. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE I STARTED THIS AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S FINALLY ENDING :''''(((( I'M GOING TO MISS YOU GUYS SO FREAKING MUCH. THANK YOU ALL FOR READING COMPLICATIONS, SECRETS AND TEARS.**

**AND NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE AN EPILOGUE. NO MORE OF TEEN ROMANCE, NOW, IT'S THE REAL THING. AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S _NOT_ GOING BE THE SPITFIRE WEDDING. I HAVE MY OWN REASONS FOR NOT WRITING THE WEDDING, 1ST BECAUSE I CAN'T WRITE THE SPITFIRE WEDDING. IT'S TOO GREAT FOR ME TO WRITE. 2ND BECAUSE I WANT TO LEAVE THAT TO GREG AND BRANDON AND IF THEY DON'T MAKE A SPITFIRE WEDDING, I'M GOING AFTER THEM :D THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!**


	25. EPILOGUE: Our Little Secret

**Okay, here it is people. The very last chapter in all of the Complications series! Oh God, today was my last day as a 8th grader and every year on the last day of school, I do this thing where I come home, lock myself up, cry my eyes out and then fall asleep for a while. So, I was asleep for like 2 hours and then I had to type this kind of fast. So, please do forgive me for the mispells, etc. And I want to thank all of you guys for reading my work and encouraging me to go forward. I love all of you guys and hopefully, I'll write some more Spitfire during the summer. And I hope you guys like what I tried in this chapter. Thanks especially to drifts1, Spitfirechick and ****andyc196****, who read all three stories in three days :) I love you guys so freaking much and PLEASE REVIEW!**

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><p><strong>EPILOGUE: Our Little Secret<strong>

Hi! This is your narrator speaking, well writing actually. For almost a year, I've been talking about Artemis and Wally, or as I like to call it; Spitfire's journey. Yes, I've never actually said my point of view for any of the three stories, but here I am, and I'm going to tell you what happened after the big battle in Paris. I even have a name for it, I call it The Battle of Shadows, pretty cool, huh? Anyway, I'm pretty sure you don't care about what I think, of course you don't, you don't even know me, but if you don't I won't tell you what happens to Spitfire 12 years after The Battle of Shadows. Yes, I will do it if I have to.

So are you listening? Good.

And I'll make it as chronological as possible, now please try to pay attention.

First off, let's start with Cheshire and Red Arrow. Well actually, I don't have a lot of things to say about them, they just joined the Team after Paris and then started dating.

Also after the battle, Cassandra and Alex sort of secretly dating but having your brother as a former Shadow and your teammate wasn't easy and they were eventually caught. Luke almost attacked Alex if he weren't his girlfriend's twin brother.

I bet you're wondering what happened to the other characters now are you? No, I know you don't, well too bad because I'll have to tell their story before I tell Spitfire's, so keep reading!

A year after the battle, Kaldur asked Amy out. That was also the time that Supermartian almost died, see M'gann and Connor had this huge argument but then, they realized they still had feelings for each other and promised to never leave each other. Sweet right? Well not as sweet as Spitfire's story!

That was also the year Angela was born. I also bet you're wondering who the heck is this girl. I'll give you a hint: as a baby, she almost deafened her father with her sonic screams. What? You guessed who it is? Well duh, it's Oliver and Dinah's daughter and Adam's younger sister! You know what she looks like? Well both her parents have blond hair and blue eyes so you put the puzzle pieces together.

Anyway, after graduation, Nathan, Cassandra's ex-boyfriend and Wally's close friend, moved to Gotham to become a get his Ph.D. You're trying to guess what that means right? Well you're on the internet right now, why don't you look it up? What? You're too lazy? Fine, Ph.D. stands for Doctor of Philosophy, so it's pretty obvious what he became.

Now, Louise, you know, one of Wally's friends, also a redhead? Yes! Yes, that Louise! Well she stayed in Central City and started a dance career and attended Central City Dance School.

Wait, what about Simon? Simon who was Artemis's date for Ollie and Dinah's wedding who actually had a crush on this girl named Margot? Well we have to back up a bit since he moved to Texas in junior year. He and Artemis had become pretty good friends during the whole year he was at Gotham Academy and they're still in contact. I'll tell you what all these people are now later on, so stay calm and read!

Now, I'll tell you about junior year for the young couple. No, nothing dramatically bad happened in their lives after The Battle of Shadows, anyway, I don't think anything can beat that. So, Wally and Artemis had _2_ junior proms! That's so cool right? Well, they did go to _2_ different schools, and they were boyfriend-girfriend soof course they had to bright the other along! The first one was at Gotham Academy, where Alex had brought Sandie along, Alice, Luke and Amy brought Kaldur.

I won't give you any serious details but that night, Wally wore trousers, a button down and a simple blazer while Artemis wore her birthday dress. Remember, the dress she wore for her sweet 16? The green one! Yeah, the one that she also used for the dinner her and Wally came back together. Anyway, nothing important happened intresting happened then. Heck, they weren't even prom king and queen; they didn't want it so the crowns went to Cassandra and Alex. I know, you're mad, Spitfire should have gotten the crowns, but like I said, they didn't want it. Wally even said, and I quote "We don't need it, we have each other." I told you they were freaking adorable!

No, I'm not telling you what happened at the Central City High School junior prom, and honestly, you don't want to know. No, I'm serious, you don't. Fine already! I'll tell you! But remember, you asked for it.

Uh, so, they both wore the same dresses, actually, they didn't even want to go since they already had theirs but Vanessa really wanted to meet the infamous Artemis Crock so they had to come. And let me tell you, it was not pretty.

First, before I continue, do you guys know what happened to that weird giant octopus thing that almost killed Artemis while Wally was jumping up and down with glee? Well I never actually said it was dead now did I? No, he was electrocuted by Aqualad. So you know what they did? They locked him up in sort huge river for a year and then he sort of escaped, was injected with the very last of the cobra venom, you know, the one from Complications, and almost crushed all of CCHS's gym. So Artemis, Kid Flash and Jane Doe, wait did I tell you she was there? Well she was, so that means that she and Alex also had to junior proms! Cool! Anyway, back to the story, they beat the hell out of the octopus and almost had their covers blown if Alex hadn't make up some lame excuse for them.

Now, let's go to senior prom! Now this was a sweet story. But before we start, let me tell you that due to the lack of students at Gotham Academy, they had to make the junior and senior prom together. So, yes, Dick Grayson was there. And thanks to Artemis; _Dick_ was able to get Zatanna to go with him, who _Dick_ hadn't seen since Artemis's birthday. Haha, see how I kept using _Dick_ and not _Robin_?

Anyway, it was a sweet story for _Chalant_ actually. That was the night Dick had revealed to her that he was Robin. After his bold move, he and Zatanna had started dating.

And that year, Spitfire won prom king and queen! No, they didn't back down this time, Alex and Sandie, who was there again, refused to become King and Queen for the second year in a row, so they didn't really have a choice. You should have seen them dancing, it was adorable.

They didn't go the CCHS's senior prom though; they had decided they had enough of octopus attacks for a lifetime.

Uh, let's see, what else happened that year? Oh, here, I have on! At the age of 21, Jade and Roy got married. Not very important but Jade is Artemis's sister, so… Ooh, also, Artemis was the maid of honor, how sweet is that? I totally felt the aster during the wedding. And yes, I was there, go ahead, be jealous!

So, nothing really happens during those years. I can tell you that Artemis and Wally moved in together in Palo Alto and they both went to Stanford. And unlike the cruel lies of Greg and Brandon, they stayed in the Team.

A year after they gradutated from high school, Connor proposed to M'gann. No one really cared about the age, technically M'gann was in her late forties by then and Superboy was just a few years old. It was actually cute how Connor asked everyone how people proposed on earth. He was just a few years old after all. The Martian was screaming her head off when he popped the question. Everyone was happy for them and M'gann was even more perky than usual.

Now, let's fast forward a bit.

We have another _RedCat_! Yes, that's what I'm calling Red Arrow and Cheshire, deal with it. Anyway, Lian! That's all I have to say, and I'm pretty sure you know what the codename for that is. Also, again from the cruel lies of G&B, Roy did not become a drug addict! He loved his wife and daughter very much.

Okay, so finally! You guys are finally going to see a part of Spitfire's journey. Just a little P.S., they're 21 here. Nightwing, Dick Grayson that is, caught this one of camera actually. I just need to find the remote for the TV, just―oh! Here it is! I was holding it the entire time. How stupid of me.

Anyway, get your popcorn and _play_:

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><p>"Wally, what the heck are we doing at the cave?" Artemis said, half annoyed, half chuckling.<p>

They were holding hands, and Wally faced her for a moment, "Just, just wait, alright?" he asked patiently. The archer nodded.

The speedster took a long breath and faced her again, although this time, he took the blonde's left hand in his hands. Then, he kneeled on one knee and pulled out a small box, he opened it and inside was a diamond ring. Artemis quickly stood up straight, surprised and looking at Wally with huge eyes. "First off, I'd like to apologize in advance. See, whenever I say something in my head, it comes out completely wrong when it comes from my mouth." Artemis smiled at him, "So, Artemis. It's been almost seven years since we've been together and honestly, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you here with me right now." Wally looked at the training room, all around it, like if he was waiting for someone to come, but when he looked at Artemis's gray eyes, his eyes looked like they've gone back in the past, like if he was remembering something, "Today's August 8, 2017. It's been exactly seven years since I've met the most amazing, bravest and the hottest girl on earth. And this is the place where I met her."

"Are you saying you've been cheating on me, Wally?" Artemis asked playfully.

"How can I even think about another girl when the only other person I really need is right in front of me?" he smiled at her, his freckles were gone, she missed them and put her right hand on his cheek gently, "And right now, I'm the luckiest man just behind with that girl. The girl that grew up with darkness raised in her. The girl that was able to defeat that darkness and never even thought about going back to that dark place. The girl that knew she was doing something wrong and eventually did the right thing. The girl that still doubts herself, who still thinks she is still dark. But you know what? I know that girl is nothing but amazing, and brave and strong and nothing like the girl she thinks she is."

Tears were already at Artemis's cheeks, "Wally." She mumbled.

"Don't. Don't say that you don't deserve me because I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. I don't deserve someone so beyond great." He said, he was also getting teary, "When we first met here seven years ago, we were at each other's throats. But I knew, deep inside me, I'd do anything for that girl who had called herself Oliver Queen's niece. I'd die for her a million times, protect her as long as I live and remind her how much amazing she is and how much she means to me every day." He bit his lip, "I know, I might as well be the corniest person in the world, but this person is in love with the bravest girl in the world. And honestly, we've been through hell together. And I couldn't even think about going through all that with any other girl. So, Artemis, will you marry me?"

She jumped into his arms, yelling yes as loud as she could. Wally didn't even care if she was screaming in his ear. He was going to marry her. He was going to marry Artemis Crock.

Once they back away, Wally put the ring through Artemis's ring finger and smiled like he'd never smiled before.

* * *

><p>Sniff, sniff. I'm so sorry. This is so unprofessional. It's just that every single time I watch that video, I break down into tears. It was just so adorable!<p>

Okay, breathe Nica, breathe. Yes, my name is Nica, is that a problem? Actually that's just my nickname but you don't actually expect me to tell you my real name now do you? Yeah, I'm pulling a Batman secret identity thing on you.

A few months after the proposal, M'gann and Connor got married. It was small, private and pretty intimate. It was at the beach, right outside Mount Justice. The Team with the help from the Justice League had constructed a gazebo and wooden floors so that M'gann could walk down the aisle and put the chairs there. She was wearing a knee length wedding dress and was in her human form. It was a simple dress with thick straps and the beltline was in the middle of her waist, the skirt was flowy and she wore white, five inch sandals. For flowers, she chose white and red roses.

For their honeymoon, they went to Venice. They didn't even have to pay for the airplane tickets, they used the Bio-ship.

Anyway, let's continue.

So a year after Supermartian got married, Spitfire decided to finally tie the knot as well.

No, I won't tell you what happened. Well, I will but not in so much detail as the proposal. I don't think you guys can take it. But I will tell you one thing, I attended it.

Of course, Dick Grayson was the best man. Yes, normally the bother should be the best man but you couldn't really blame Wally for choosing The Hottest Man Alive Dick Grayson over his 12 year old brother now do you? Kaldur, Connor, Luke, Roy and Alex were groomsmen and they had 2 ring bearers, don't ask me how it worked, I just saw what happened, I didn't know how they planned it. They were Mark and Adam, who was 10 at the time. They all wore black and white matching tuxedos, which was cute actually.

Jade was the maid of honor. Zatanna, M'gann, Sandie, Alice and Amy were the bridesmaids. They all wore these long spaghetti strap dresses that came to their calves. It was a pinkish, beige color. The skirts were layered and they were all holding a small bouquet of pink tulips. They also had these headbands with a few tulips on them. They all looked so girlie and innocent. Jade didn't like it but Artemis had reminded her of Jade's wedding and how she had forced her to wear a light blue dress that made her look like a blond bimbo. Not that blonds are bimbos.

Wally, he was wearing a tux, not black and white like his groomsmen or the Penguin but a silver and white tuxedo. He looked…shiny in it but still handsome and mature.

And Artemis was wearing a long, flowy, white, strapless gown. The top was beaded and around Artemis's upper waist was a light blue ribbon. The skirt was made of silk. It actually tickled her legs the whole time and while dressing up, she wouldn't stop giggling. She even had a veil that covered her hair, which was shorter by then and only reached her mid back. But what was really important about the outfit was that she was still wearing the necklace. The necklace that Wally had given her for Christmas from 8 years before that, the one made of silver and had a diamond on the I and had a crescent moon beside her name. She wore it every day. Until now.

I'm pretty sure you're thinking that since Wally proposed to her in Mount Justice, the place they met, they'd get married on top of the Eiffel Tower, where they first kissed? Well no. Even Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen combined their fortunes, they would be able to even use the Eiffel Tower for an hour. So they did it at the second best place there was.

Gotham Park.

I know what you're thinking: What?

Well actually, it was pretty intense, so freaking beautiful.

Bruce Wayne had generously talked to the Mayor into letting them wed around the Willow Tree. Yes, that's where they got married. The Willow Tree. Their Willow Tree.

Well, it's not actually theirs but it's theirs in spirit.

It had grown since they were there as teenagers but they knew very well where it was in all of Gotham Park.

Honestly, everyone was crying, well almost everyone. I could feel the love everywhere.

I bet you're thinking of how they afforded all this. Well, Artemis was like a daughter to Oliver, who do you think paid for it?

And don't even get me started on their vows. Wally had actually saved the recorded conversation between him and Nightwing 8 years ago in Paris, when he had angrily confessed he was in love with Artemis and played it in front of everybody. And at the end, he said these exact words: _To my fallen angel, Artemis Crock, forever, I will love you unconditionally._

And while Wally's was all corny and lovey dovy, Artemis's was dark and beautiful. No, not dark as in evil. But she talked about how he had gotten her through all the bad things in her life and how he had loved her even after knowing she had a dark past. It was just so emotional!

The next day, they flew to Paris, where they stayed for three weeks.

Almost right after Spitfire's honeymoon, Luke had decided her wanted the same happiness as his best friend and teammates' did, so he proposed to Alice. Surprisingly, Alex's head didn't blow up. And apparently, he had been saving for the ring since they first started going out.

In January of the following year, Ben was born. Who is Ben, you say? He's the son of a certain Martian and clone. Yup. M'gann was pregnant. I didn't tell you but here you go. Now let me tell you what he looks like. He has human skin, dark auburn hair like his mother and bright blue eyes like his dad.

In February; Dick finally listened to Wally and proposed to Zatanna. It was pretty cute actually. Dick wouldn't stop talking, he was sweating everywhere, he had to change his shirt every half hour and he kept looking at his watch, breathing hastily and his heartbeat was racing. It was also pretty classical. A late night dinner at a five star restaurant and one of the most expensive rings ever, being Richard Dick Grayson and all.

January of the following year, Alice and Luke finally tied the knot. This time, the wedding happened in the Karlson's mansion's garden. Of course nor Alice nor Alex haven't actually lived there in a while. But the garden was still huge and the wedding was small. Only close friends and family. But it was still sweet. Alice wore her mother's wedding dress. Although her parents' marriage ended a long time ago, she knew that they had loved each other. It was simple but expensive. This time, Cassandra was the maid of honor, being Luke's sister and Alex was the best man, being the bride's twin brother.

A month later, Dick and Zatanna had gotten married as well. It was at an expensive hotel. Bruce Wayne had paid for absolutely everything. Even the bride's dress. The dress was especially designed for the magician herself. The top was pretty much a corset, the skirt was like a giant tutu and the beltline was on her waist. If you went more details, just look at Kate Hudson's dress on Bride Wars. Yeah, it's pretty much looked like that. Artemis was the maid of honor and Wally was the best man, being so close to the other couple.

September 29 of that year, Jessie and Jane were born. They're Alice and Luke's kids. Yeah, that was fast right? They were identical twins and apparently, twins ran in the Karlson family, fraternal or not. Both little girls had very light brown hair, almost blond, like Cassandra's, had a light tan, coming from their mother and sparkling blue eyes from their father.

And then a bit later in the year, a few days before Christmas, Zatanna gave birth to Haylee. She was pretty cute. She had black hair, like both of her parents and she had dark blue eyes like Dick's. She's pretty excitable too.

Haylee didn't stay a single child for long. The next year, Tyler was born. His features were almost exactly the same as his sister's, the shade of blue of his eyes were lighter, like Zatanna's, full with magic and fantasy while his sister's were filled with mysteries and curiosity.

Two years after, in 2022, Kaldur and Amy got married. The wedding was at a resort near Happy Harbor shore. It wasn't too expensive, although Amy's family was pretty rich. I mean she did attend Gotham Academy after all. It was pretty and simple. Kaldur's vows were nice and polite, but sill still a lot of feelings and Amy wouldn't stop crying. Artemis was her maid of honor again while the other girls like Alice, M'gann, Zatanna and Sandie, who she first met at prom, were her bridesmaids. And for Kaldur, Garth was the best man.

In 2023, Tula was welcomed into the world. No, not Tula as in Garth's girlfriend and Kaldur's ex. But as in Tula, Kaldur and Amy's daughter. The couple had named their daughter after the late Tula. Yes, unfortunately, this time Greg and Brandon were right. Aquagirl died and to honor her death, Kaldur and Amy had named their daughter after the brave heroine. She looked nothing like the first Tula but they didn't care. Their daughter had olive skin, like her parents, dark blond hair and pale green eyes like her father's; calm and full of soul. She actually said her first word a few months ago, it was "fish". Dick and Wally had laughed; the irony was too much for them while Kaldur stared in amazement at his daughter.

Fine! I'll leave you alone now, here's the last part of Spitfire for you:

* * *

><p>Artemis put the tray of cookies on the picnic table. M'gann had just finished another batch. Wally and her had made a small get together in their garden. It was pretty big but not that huge. The kids were running around, playing tag. The oldest kid there was Lian, who was 7 now.<p>

And as soon as the archer put the food down, a five year old boy came running at her. He was pretty fast for a boy his age. He took a handful of chocolate chip cookies and shoved it in his mouth. He loved eating, the kid that is. Yet, he wasn't chubby at all. "Mommy!" he cried out as he threw his hands in the air, "Can Auntie Megan make some more cookies?" he asked adorably.

Artemis picked up the young boy and tickled him, "Sure sweetheart." She replied, "Make sure your sister doesn't get hurt okay?" the small boy nodded. Artemis let go of him and he went running towards his friends.

The blond woman stared as the kids ran, screaming and laughing with complete and utter joy. Looking at them like that, it made her feel like flying. Never in her entire life had she even thought that she would become a superhero, much less a wife and mother. She stared at her first child. She remembered when she was pregnant with her son. It felt so scary and terrifying, knowing that someone was inside her, growing, getting ready to taking in his first puff of air. She had been so afraid. She didn't want to be like her dad. Wally had told her that that would never happen. He was like that, whenever she was scared and didn't trust herself, he would be there to believe in her when she didn't believe in herself, he would be there to catch her when she fell.

It made life a bit easier knowing he would be there, whether she liked it or not.

What she didn't know was that she was there for Wally as much as he was there for her. For Wally, just knowing she would be the first face he saw in the morning got him up from bed every single day.

That's how they manage in their relationship. They would love each other, be there for as long as possible for each other, whether they needed it or not.

She stared back at her kids. Yes, her _kids_. The older one, the boy had dark auburn hair, with extremely light olive skin. Then, he faced her way, looking right into her eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. The ever so familiar emerald green color filled her son's eyes. They were exactly the same as his father's. That tended to happen to Artemis sometimes. She couldn't quite believe that he was not only her son, but Wally's as well. To think that when they had first met, they hated each other beyond recognition. Now, she can't even imagine her life without Wally.

A girl had fallen to the ground, snapping Artemis back to reality. The little girl was 2 year old, she had bright red hair that covered her shoulders, her skin was barely even olive color, lighter than Artemis's son and her eyes; they were a deep charcoal gray.

But before Artemis could react, her son quickly helped the little girl up. The girl was crying a bit but then the boy hugged her tightly, lovingly. And although Artemis couldn't actually hear what he was whispering to her she knew it was, "It's alright, big brother's here. It's going to be okay." He liked to refer himself to big brother. It was so sweet; they were like that a lot. It was nice to know that her kids were there for each other as well. It was extremely reassuring.

Leaving them alone, Artemis headed back to the kitchen. It was empty but the oven was still on, cooking more cookies. Artemis sat at on a stool, putting her elbows on the counter. She put her head in her palms and closed her eyes. She took a long, deep breath. She just wanted to be alone for a while.

And that's when arms wrapped around Artemis's waist from behind. She didn't stiffen, she didn't freeze. She just smiled.

Wally lightly kissed her temple, "Another nightmare?" he whispered softly against her skin.

She didn't respond. But he knew very well she was like this when she was shaken up. It's been 12 years since they first met, 12 years since he fell in love. 11 years since the Battle of Shadows. Yet, from time to time, they still had nightmares. It wasn't Psimon. He was in Belle Rêve and always will be. But it was more of a psychological thing. Something to do with trauma. So every now and then, they would wake up, screaming or sweating, panting. That morning, Artemis wasn't screaming. He would have woken up. He knew that she had tried to cover it up. But he knew her too well, sometimes, even Artemis knew that he knew her more than she ever did or will.

"It's okay to be scared," he whispered to her, "But just so you know, I'm here, holding onto you." His grip around her waist became tighter, "And I won't let go."

Artemis was already crying, she lifted her head from her hands and stared right in front of her, "It was horrible." Her voice cracked, "It was the night in Paris." Saying that, he already knew she meant.

He took one of his hands away and brushed her soft, blond hair, which was let down, "It's okay." He said, just as soothingly as his son had. Artemis guessed it was in the genes.

"It's not okay!" she cried out as she got out of his grip and faced him, "You died!"

Wally had to fight back tears, "I know." He mumbled, looking at her straight in the eye, "But it didn't happen. I'm still here," he took her hands in his, "I still love you."

With that, Artemis smiled, as if realizing he really was there, "What on earth would I do without you, Wall-man?" she asked, calming down, she leaned in towards him and kissed him for what felt like forever, she didn't want to let him go, "I love you."

They just stayed like that for a while, staring at each other, "How are the kids?" Wally finally asked.

Artemis couldn't help but smile, "Well Cali fell and started crying and then Chris hugged her." She said in awe. "I just love them when they're like that." Chris and Cali. That's what their names were.

Wally made his way beside her and wrapped his arms around her stomach "And to think a third's coming along." His smiled beamed.

His wife put her hands over his, "Yeah, Samantha's going to be great." They had decided on the name a week ago, Samantha.

"So, are we going to tell the others now?" Artemis added.

Wally kissed her again and smelled her hair. Vanilla, for the past 12 years. "No. For now, it'll be our little secret." He whispered.

"Okay." she said, "Wally?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you."

**_Fin_**

* * *

><p><strong>Oh God, I'm gonna start crying all over again. I can't believe it's finally finished! And just a BTW, Samantha is my sister's name ;) I hope you guys liked it and again, I love you guys so freaking much! I hope to see you guys in my future fics about Spitfire and others and PLEASE REVEIW! And here I am, saying for the very last time: AUREVOIR<strong>


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